


Autumn's Gold

by Felicity_The_Cat



Series: If we were Normal [1]
Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood and Gore, Demonic Possession, Drug Use, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Morbid, Underage Drinking, William Afton is literally a demon, they aren't robots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2020-11-27 23:53:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 43,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20957006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felicity_The_Cat/pseuds/Felicity_The_Cat
Summary: Gold and Springtrap always had a spark growing up. Despite their little crushes on eachother, neither of them ever acted upon it or admitted their feelings aloud. Now that the two have graduated from school and are facing the real world, Gold finally makes a move. Between their friend group and unforeseen circumstances it's unclear if they will be able to truly be happy together. There's something malicious that wants to make its home inside of Springtrap. The odd purple shadow wants to help the little yellow rabbit in his time of need. Springtrap soon finds out that making deals with demons isn't something that should be done... ever.Now harboring the demon known as William inside of him, Springtrap fights for control as he tries to continue on with his life as normal. Can anything really be normal when a bloodthirsty demon has control of your body whenever he pleases, though?Make sure to read the notes!





	1. A Golden Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT.
> 
> Everything you know about Five Nights at Freddy's does not apply here. This is an AU (Alternate Universe)
> 
> What's different?
> 
> -The characters are not robots. They're organic, living beings. Both animals and humans co-exist in this world.  
-There was never a restaurant. The characters are normal everyday nobodies.  
-No murders ever took place and the characters are their own people, not possessed by dead children.  
-Most characters are young adults unless stated otherwise.  
-Some versions of the characters may not exist in this world. Unless they're mentioned, it is a safe bet to assume that they are not.
> 
> Why am I doing this?
> 
> -I've wanted to work on this AU for a long time. I've wanted the freedom to write the characters as living beings who can go out and do everyday things and live their own lives. I plan to have fun with this and may even extend it past just this relationship if I'm still having fun, motivated and have ideas.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy! Comments/feedback is always appreciated!

Autumn was fast approaching. Well… It had already arrived, the rabbit supposed with a sigh. The summer’s heat hadn’t wanted to leave as soon as he would have liked, lingering and making him cringe as the humidity made itself at home on his golden fur. Now the heat was finally clocking out to make way for the fall. Thankfully with the absence of the dreaded heat, he could actually manage to wear a decent costume this year. He tended to get very hot considering how much fur he had. That’s why he found himself standing in the Halloween isle now. His big green eyes scanned the costumes carefully. Werewolf… vampire… Too cheesy. The rabbit walked further down the aisle, passing several other cheesy outfits. Ninjas were just… not something he wanted to be this year. A clown, maybe? He shook the idea away with a huff. Everyone was going to go as a clown this year. Being an animal seemed very lackluster. He’d let the humans have their fun with that one. One of his ears twitched as he passed by another row of boring costumes. None of them caught his eye particularly. He was so focused on his search for a decent outfit that he failed to see the man in front of him. With a surprised squeak, the rabbit bumped into someone much taller than him. The lanky boy fell backwards onto his butt, wincing in slight pain. It hadn’t felt pleasant, to say the least. He felt beyond embarrassed but knew he had to look at the other person eventually. A mantra of apologies were already leaving his mouth before he could look up and see …. 

“_ Spring _!” An all too-familiar voice boomed. Springtrap’s ears perked up at the sight of shining baby blue eyes, sharp white fangs and matching yellow fur. There was a large paw already extended down to Springtrap and the rabbit took it without hesitation. The bear nearly yanked the smaller boy off the ground with how hard he pulled him up. Gold often forgot his own strength when it came to pulling around someone so much lighter than himself. Springtrap’s eyes widened as he was lifted back to his feet. It had been a while since he’d been yanked up by the older bear. Despite the initial shock of how powerful the bear actually was, Springtrap managed to give his friend a big toothy smile.

“_ Gold _!” Spring squealed happily, lunging forward to pull the bear into a tight hug. He couldn’t quite wrap his arms all the way around the bear due to his… round shape but it was obvious that Gold enjoyed the show of affection nonetheless. With a small chuckle, Gold bent over slightly to return the hug, being much more gentle than Springtrap. He wasn’t keen on crushing the little fellow to death. Springtrap’s little white tail was wagging a hundred miles an hour in excitement. It had been several months since he’d last seen the big lovable goofball known as Frederick, or Gold to most of his friends. The nickname had come about when the arrival of a few other Frederick’s or Freddy’s came about. There was an ongoing joke that Gold had received his nickname because he was from the golden age of school before things got so… complicated.

Freddy, as they called the first Frederick that attempted to steal Gold’s name was a total pushover. He may have nearly matched Gold in size but he was a huge softie. To everyone who didn’t know him, they saw a huge, menacing bear. While he could no doubt kick his fair share of asses when needed, he didn’t have any interest in picking on anyone or starting trouble.

Just a year after Freddy arrived, Freddi had. Freddi with an ‘I’. That was very important information that everyone had to stress to the rest of the friend group. 

Freddi with an ‘I’ was a huge dork to put it lightly. He was the boy who fawned over all the other boys and was obsessed with makeup and keeping tidy. People often joked that he looked like a toy doll wearing so much makeup. The joke quickly became a nickname. Freddy with an ‘I’ gained his own nickname of Toy or Tony. It was a bizarre motion of events since all three Freddy’s were bears but the ever-growing group of friends didn’t mind. Some humans gave them odd looks when they saw three rather large bears hanging with a cluster of smaller animals but didn’t dare speak a word. Humans were rather idiotic and cruel sometimes.

Springtrap pulled away after a moment, staring up at his friend with a happy twitch of his nose.

“Are you coming to the party then, I take it?” Gold asked with raised brows. Springtrap nodded furiously, already looking much too excited for the party that was still weeks away. 

Gold light up upon hearing that the little yellow rabbit would be attending for a fact. Spring wasn’t really the type to party but he enjoyed going out with friends. After a lot of coaxing from their shared friendgroup, Springtrap had agreed to go to the party if he had someone he knew the cling to. Much to his delight, the entire group planned on attending. It was going to be… one interesting night.

“I’m thinking about being some kind of killer.” Gold hummed as he gestured to the section of horror movie characters. Spring smiled in amusement, perking up when he saw a particularly cute skeleton costume nearby. He wagged his tail and made his way over to grab the costume, looking up at Gold for approval. “How about a skeleton for me? I could dye my face fur.”

The rabbit held up the skeleton suit. It was a full body costume minus a mask. He could definitely work with that. Gold raised a brow questioningly, smiling wide as he eyed the suit curiously. Spring waited eagerly for his response as his tail swished back and forth behind him.

“I like it.” Gold finally said with a hum. Springtrap couldn’t hide his excitement as he stood on the tips of his toes, showing off his buck teeth with a happy chuckle… not that they could really be hidden. The little golden rabbit was always way too hyper and excitable. Gold had learned rather quickly that giving him energy drinks or coffee was a huge no no.

Springtrap calmed himself a bit as Gold snagged his own costume off the rack, double checking the size before calling it a day. It was some cheesy cliche horror movie murderer. He didn’t seem to mind how popular the costume had been throughout the years. 

“I’ll see you there, then?” Springtrap asked with a sideways tilt of his head. Of course Gold would be there…. Why was he even asking?

The question made Gold show his white fangs with another grin. 

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Bon.” Springtrap blushed a little at the use of his middle name. The story of the multiple Bonnie’s was far more interesting than that of the Freddy’s. It still gave Springtrap a headache thinking about it. Despite being flustered, he ran his blunt claws through the fur on his cheeks in an attempt to fix it as a distraction. 

It didn’t need fixing and Gold knew that.

“_ Hey _,” Gold said as he took a step forward, placing a paw on the little yellow rabbit’s shoulder.

Springtrap looked up at him with wide green eyes, unable to hide how flustered he was this time around. 

“After the party, you should come over to my place. We can eat junk food and watch movies.” The offer was tempting. _ Very _tempting. Springtrap hesitated for a moment.

“I don’t know, Gold. It’ll be late and I don’t want to drive all the way home-”

“You can stay the night.” Gold interjected, uncaring if his interruption seemed rude.

Springtrap blinked, clearly taken aback and bewildered. He averted his gaze and lowered his ears, trying to find another reason why he couldn’t go over to the bear’s home.

“I don’t think I can handle Chica all night. She gets really loud-”

“She won’t be there.” Gold interrupted again. Springtrap stared up at him, dead silent.

“It will just be us.” The bear tried to assure him, though whether Springtrap was reassured by that wasn’t clear. There was an odd feeling settling in the pit of Spring’s stomach for sure.

“Just us?” Spring asked, brows knitted into a confused expression. Gold nodded.

“Yeah… I mean, if you really just want to go home afterwards, that’s alright too.”

Springtrap violently shook his head and placed his free paw on Gold’s chest.

“No! No. I want to hang out.” Gold couldn’t help but smile at the urgency in Spring’s voice.

“Alright then, Bon. I’ll see you at the party.” Gold reached out and ruffled the fur on his head. Springtrap winced as Gold made a mess of his fur. The bear snickered and walked off, sliding his paw into his coat pocket while firmly gripping the costume in the other. Springtrap watched as he vanished before clenching his hand, digging his little claws into the costume’s packaging.

Did he just agree to a date?


	2. Burgers and Cries

Time went by so slowly when you were excited for something. Springtrap spent the next couple weeks eagerly awaiting the party. He’d practiced painting the fur on his face black and white, making it look as close to a skull as he could. It was actually pretty good looking, much to his delight. Tony had offered to help him with his makeup if he needed it but Spring was satisfied with what he had managed to pull off. He had planned on putting glitter in the white parts of the makeup the night of the party but hadn’t toyed with it yet. Washing glitter out of his fur was always a hassle but he didn’t mind the headache if it meant he’d get a few extra compliments at the party. He never went to a party underdressed. Springtrap always went above and beyond with his costumes and even though a skeleton was about as basic as a costume could get he was going to make sure to make it as cute and unique as he could. 

The party was in two days. Spring had been in contact with the friend group after Chica had eagerly made a group text for them all to talk about the party. Chica was going as a cheerleader which wasn’t surprising. Foxy refused to tell anyone what he was going as. The fox always insisted on surprising everyone with what he was going to be. Last year he showed up as a cowboy, much to everyone’s amusement. Despite the playful jabs he received, Foxy was confident that his costume  _ was  _ cool and he walked around the entire night pointing at the fake gun he had holstered on his hip, threatening to show people just how serious a cowboy outlaw could be. Freddy had showed up as some rockstar. Springtrap couldn’t quite remember what it was since he hadn’t gone last year. Despite missing out, the others had told him everything noteworthy that happened that night. The stories had been recanted countless times since then and Springtrap could practically picture having been there himself.

The group chat had been blowing up ever since its creation two weeks prior. It had been set up the same night that Gold had run into Springtrap in the store.

The girls were rambling on about their costumes, clearly excited to show off their homemade creations. Tony had jumped in almost immediately, offering to help with their outfits and makeup. Chica had insisted that she had it all under control, confident in herself. Mangle and Chi were more than excited to have the bear help them with their makeup. Chi… yes there were multiple Chica’s as well. Chi was the nickname given to the smaller, girlier chicken. While Chica wasn’t nearly as thin as Chi, the two seemed to have a deep rooted love of pizza. It baffled Springtrap how Chi could consume so much and never gain a pound.

Food… Food sounded good at the moment, Spring decided. He stretched his legs out and shifted in his seat. Springtrap was sitting in his little apartment, barely paying attention to some horror movie that had come on his TV about a half hour prior. His phone vibrated on the couch cushion next to him, grabbing his attention. He reached out and snagged up his phone, glancing at the screen, half expecting to see another notification from the group chat. He was a little surprised to see it was from Gold. It wasn’t to the group chat, either. It was a private one.

_ Bear-Boi-Gold _

Springtrap squinted. He couldn’t recall when he would have ever changed Gold’s name to that in his contact list. Maybe Chica had gotten into his phone? He wouldn’t put it past her.

_‘Are you busy?’ _Read Gold’s text. Springtrap stared at the message for a moment before replying in a blur of motion. He was always able to text faster than most of the group, much to the girl’s dismay.

_ ‘No. Whazzup?’ _ Spring stared at his phone for a moment, waiting for a reply. He had nothing better to do. His phone vibrated in his hand as another message came through. That was fast.

_ ‘Freddy bailed out on me. You want me to come over?’ _ Gold’s text read.

Spring shot up, causing the blanket over his legs to fall to the floor. He hadn’t bothered doing  _ anything _ to get ready that day. His fur was a mess, he hadn’t brushed his teeth… The apartment was a mess! Spring clutched the phone a little tighter as he raised it up, deciding to just call Gold. Springtrap pressed a button and put the phone to his ear. It only took a moment for the bear to pick up, not even giving Spring enough time to walk into the bathroom that was right across the living room.

“Hey.” Gold chirped happily through the phone. Spring could tell just by his tone of voice that he was in a good mood. But… hadn’t Freddy just bailed on him? Why was he so happy?   
“I’m uh- not even proper right now, Fred. My apartment is a mess and I-” Gold cut him off once again. It seemed as if Springtrap wouldn’t ever be able to spit everything out around the bear.

“Before you try to blow me off, Spring, I could give a damn less if your fur is clean or not. I’m getting food and then I’ll come over if you’d like. I can give you like twenty minutes to get yourself in order.” 

Gold sounded serious yet excited. It was obvious by the tone in his voice that he  _ really _ wanted to come over. Did Springtrap have the heart to push him away and ruin his good mood? Freddy had already bailed on him and having a second friend deny Gold their company seemed harsh. Springtrap winced and stepped into the bathroom, glancing up into the mirror. He flipped on the light, squinting as the bathroom lit up with a faint yellow glow.

The yellow tint the bulb gave off reminded him really needed to change that lightbulb soon.

“Uh…” Spring leaned against the counter, flattening his ears with a wince.

“....Sure. Yeah. Give me twenty minutes.”

By the time the doorbell rang, most of the apartment had been tidied up to look presentable.

The kitchen and living room had no wall separating them and the only other rooms were safely hidden behind doors, mess and all. Spring was in the shower when he heard the doorbell. His stomach sunk and he hurriedly rinsed the rest of the soap out of his fur. He climbed out and onto the little brown mat at the foot of the shower carefully, shivering as he snatched up his towel to dry himself off quickly. Was he shaking from anxiety or the feeling of the colder air against his wet fur? He wasn’t quite sure. The towel was discarded onto the floor as Springtrap grabbed at his oversized white T-shirt hurriedly. He slipped it on and opened the bathroom door, ignoring the steam that rolled out into the hallway. His fur was a wet mess but he didn’t have any more time to try and dry it. He wasn’t going to make Gold wait out in the hall forever.

As Spring approached the door he paused, looking at the handle for a moment.

On the other side of the door stood Gold. He had come over to see him without being invited, which while Springtrap wished that he’d had more time to get ready, he wasn’t going to complain too much. With a flutter in his heart and a drop in his stomach, Springtrap unlocked the door and opened it, facing the bear with a soft inhale of breath.

Gold gave Spring a wide smile that made the rabbit feel weightless. In Gold’s hands were a few brown plastic bags and in the other one was a paper bag… He’d brought snacks and food.

Springtrap perked up at the sight of the food and his ears perked up with interest.

Gold laughed and extended the brown paper bag out to the rabbit. Springtrap took it gratefully and took several steps back, making room for Gold to enter.   
“So that was all I had to do to get in?” The bear asked with a laugh. He walked in and made his way over to the couch, sitting the bags down on the empty coffee table.

Springtrap shut and locked the door before following, shaking his head with a smile.

“You know it.” He hummed and pulled a burger out of the bag, softly wagging his tail.

Gold sat down on the couch, waiting for Spring to join him. The little yellow rabbit flopped down on the opposite end of the couch with a huff before pulling the blanket off of the floor where he left it. As Springtrap snuggled into the blanket and sunk into the couch he caught sight of Gold eyeing him. The realization that he was being watched made him a little self conscious and nervous but he gave the bear a tiny smile nonetheless. Springtrap unwrapped the burger and sniffed it, relaxing when he smelled no sign of pickles. He was surprised that Gold had remembered. He took a bite of the burger and handed the bag over to Gold without protest. He didn’t even know he was hungry until he’d been handed the brown paper bag.

Springtrap watched Gold in silence. The bear wasted no time before reaching his hand into the bag and pulling out a burger for himself. Had he gotten them all without pickles or had Spring just grabbed a burger without them by chance? Springtrap found himself quietly wondering this while Gold unwrapped and began eating his food, eyes darting between the TV and Springtrap every so often. They both seemed content to eat in silence for the moment, or at least Springtrap was somewhat content. He was anxious and fidgety being this close to Gold, even though they were on opposite sides of the couch.

Some cheesy horror movie had come on the TV. The plot was about a group of people trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. It was as generic and cheesy as a generic cheesy horror movie could get. Springtrap wasn’t really invested in the obviously fake gore being shown at the moment. His eyes kept finding more interest in Gold than the characters screaming in front of him. Gold looked over every once in a while as well, catching Springtrap’s gaze before offering a sheepish smile as the little rabbit became flustered and acted as if the eye contact had been purely accidental. He hadn’t been staring on purpose! Surely Gold knew that. 

Once their burgers had been eaten and the silence became just a little too awkward, Gold spoke up. 

“This movie is trash.” Springtrap couldn’t help but smile and nod in agreement. 

“We can change the channel if you’d like?” The rabbit offered with a small wiggle of his nose. Gold wasted no time in shaking his head no. He waved his hand at Springtrap dismissively.

“Nah. It’s a good kind of trash. Like junk food.” Fredbear stretched his legs out and unzipped his leather jacket. Springtrap hadn’t even noticed that he hadn’t removed it since he arrived.

How was the bear not burning up? The black leather coat was discarded onto the floor without care. Springtrap shifted and hid under the blanket a little more, shivering softly.

“You can hang it up if you’d like.” Springtrap offered with a nod towards the coat rack by the door. Gold shook his head no again and yawned. Getting up and walking over there would be entirely too much work. Spring smiled and sunk deeper into the couch, turning his attention back to the movie. There was a comfortable silence in the room for a while before Gold broke it.

“You wanna bang?”

The words came out of Gold’s mouth so easily that Springtrap knew he had to have planned this. The rabbit sat up, eyes bugged out with a huge blush on his face. His ears were hanging in front of his face in a weak attempt to hide his startled expression. Had Gold seriously just asked him that?   
“I-I uh-” Springtrap stammered and pulled his legs under himself to sit on his knees. The blanket fell to the floor; Springtrap couldn’t care less about it. Before The rabbit had another chance to continue embarrassing himself he caught sight of a can in Gold’s hand.

It dawned on Springtrap  _ far _ too late what Gold had meant. It was… a drink.

An energy drink. Called Bang. Springtrap blinked, still taken aback and bewildered.

Gold was grinning like an idiot. Whether he had intentionally set up the question to sound the way it had or not wasn’t clear. If Springtrap was going by the bear’s smirk, he’d say that it  _ was completely intentional. _ There was a brief silence again before Springtrap cleared his throat.

“What… flavor is it?” He questioned with an unsteady voice. He was still embarrassed beyond belief at the mere idea that Gold would even ask such a thing if it hadn’t been about a drink.

Gold glanced down at the can he was holding before extending it out to Springtrap. “Peach.” Springtrap took the can with a grateful nod and shuddered at how cold it was. 

“Thanks.” He mumbled as he popped the tab, opening the energy drink and listening to it hiss.

Gold had one of his own but Spring couldn’t see the flavor. He didn’t really care to, either.

As Springtrap sipped at the drink, he found himself shivering a little. Was it anxiety again or the cold drink he kept sipping at? Gold noticed the other’s jittering and flattened his ears in concern.

“Are you cold?” He asked. Springtrap nodded gently. 

“There’s extra blankets in my room. I-I can go grab them if you’re cold.” Springtrap offered.

Gold raised a brow in confusion. While he wouldn’t mind having a warm blanket to cover up with he wasn’t the one shaking like a leaf. Springtrap was already standing before Gold could answer. He sat the energy drink on the coffee table and crossed his arms, rubbing at his fur with a shiver. Getting more blankets would help him calm down. He was just cold… that was all.

Springtrap opened his bedroom door slightly and slipped in. His room was a mess and he didn’t want Gold to try and see inside from the couch. All he needed to do was grab some blankets and get out. Easy peasy. Springtrap muttered  _ ‘Easy peasy’ _ under his breath a few times as he gathered up two thick blankets into his arms. Despite his age he really was a child.

The rabbit spun around and headed back to the door, pulling it open a little wider to accommodate the extra width he’d acquired from the blankets. His eyes widened as he realized the doorway was blocked. Gold was standing in the hallway… towering over him. Why was he so damn tall?

Springtrap shrunk in on himself a bit as his eyes widened. Had Gold come to snoop and see how disgusting his room was? God, he hoped not.

“Do you want me to carry one?” The bear offered with a tired smile.

Springtrap blinked and stayed silent just a little too long; long enough for the situation to feel a little awkward. The little bunny was many things. He was a huge nerd, fairly weak, fuzzy… One thing he wasn’t- being good at socializing. He was quiet all throughout school which led to him being bullied by quite a few other students. Gold and the others always stepped in and defended Spring but he still wasn’t adored by many of his other classmates.

“Springtrap?” 

Gold was looking at the rabbit with concern. How long had he been standing there?   
“Sorry…” Spring groaned out groggily. He extended one of the blankets out to Gold and turned around to pull his bedroom door shut. For some reason he felt too drained to care if Gold had seen the mess anymore. What was that? He hadn’t froze up like that in years.

“Are you okay?” Gold asked softly. He had tucked the blanket under his arm and was watching Spring with observant eyes. Oh… Springtrap felt like he was going to…

Spring handed Gold the other blanket or rather shoved it against the taller man’s chest.

Gold took it without hesitation and Springtrap walked around the bear to get to the bathroom.

As soon as the door was pushed open and the toilet seat was lifted up Springtrap lost it.

Gold had dropped the blankets in the hallway in favor of slipping inside of the bathroom to hold Springtrap’s back reassuringly. The little rabbit trembled as the worst of it passed and he pulled away, shaking like a beaten dog. His eyes locked onto the mouthwash that sat on the counter but he made no move to grab it. Gold noticed immediately and grabbed the clear bottle for Spring. The toilet lid was shut and the vomit was promptly flushed away.

Gold helped Springtrap to his feet and handed him the bottle of mouthwash.

Springtrap felt disgusting. He wanted to drink the entire thing and rinse away the taste of bile in his mouth. The thought of drinking mouthwash made him cringe.

“Are you okay?” Gold asked. Springtrap weakly nodded and began to pour some of the blue liquid into his mouth, swishing it in a desperate attempt to banish the taste of stomach acid.

The mouthwash splattered onto the faucet as Springtrap spat it out. He was still shivering slightly. Why the hell had he froze up? It was just Gold. Springtrap was well aware that the bear would never bring him harm… so… why had he panicked? It wasn’t until then that he really noticed the bear’s presence beside him. It wasn’t that he didn’t know Gold was there before but now he was just  _ very _ aware of it. Gold was rubbing Springtrap’s back gently, trying to bring what little comfort he could to the tiny rabbit. Springtrap wiped the mouthwash around his mouth on the back of his hand with another shudder. He wanted to lie down and curl into himself.

He had just thrown up in front of Gold… If there was any chance that the bear had liked him he had surely just ruined it. Springtrap clenched his fist weakly, digging his blunt claws into his palm. Gold hadn’t repeated his question; he was waiting for the bunny to calm down.

“I’m… fine. Just … felt sick.” Springtrap lied. The two made their way back to the couch slowly and Gold grabbed the blankets off the hallway floor. Springtrap flopped onto his stomach once he reached the couch, then curled up and pulled his knees to his chest with a shiver.

Gold was by his side almost instantly, wrapping him up in a blanket.   
Springtrap felt exhausted.

“Don’t leave.” The rabbit whispered out weakly. Gold sat back down at the end of the couch, pulling his own blanket over his legs with a sigh.

“You know I won’t.” He assured Springtrap. The sounds of the TV drowned out Spring’s soft whimper as tears threatened to slip down his cheeks. Why had he messed this up?

He closed his eyes with a sniffle. His head was pressed against the arm of the couch and his feet were pointed at Gold. The bear couldn’t see the rabbit’s pitiful face even if he wasn’t burrowed halfway in the blanket. The sounds of horrified screams and werewolf howls were the last thing Springtrap heard before he dozed off, curled up with tears running down his face.


	3. Macaroni

No dreams came to Springtrap that night. His sleep was restless but void of any nightmares.

When he woke in the early hours of the morning confusion swept over him. The memories from the night before took a moment to come to him but once he realized that he’d fallen asleep on Gold he sat up in a panic. Had gold left? What time was it? His body trembled as he anxiously looked around the apartment for any signs of the bear. Gold was in the kitchen with his back turned to Spring. He was standing at the stove making food. The smell of bacon filled the small apartment, causing Springtrap to relax. Food… Gold was just making Breakfast…

The little yellow rabbit shivered and crawled out from under the blanket he had been comfortably nestled under. The feeling of the chill air in the apartment made Spring want to crawl back onto the couch and go back to sleep. He needed to apologize to Gold.

The bear’s ears perked up before Springtrap even had a chance to say a word.  
He glanced back with a soft smile. Gold looked somewhat worried; Springtrap couldn’t blame him. Despite the awkward events that unfolded the night prior, Springtrap managed a small,

“_ Hey… _” It was spoke in a gentle voice. It was so soft that Gold barely heard it.

If it weren’t for the rabbit moving his mouth to speak, he may not have caught it at all.

“Did you sleep well?” Gold asked softly. Springtrap took a seat at the table by the stove.

What kind of question was that? Shouldn’t Gold have been demanding to know why he’d vomited and ruined their night? The memory made Springtrap curl in on himself in shame.

“I guess.” Spring muttered solomley. Gold’s worry seemed to increase as he spoke up.  
“Can… I ask what happened last night?” Springtrap was quiet for a long moment.   
He stared down at his hands in his lap before swallowing nervously. He wasn’t going to lie to Gold. The man didn’t deserve to be fed lies; none of his friends did.   
“I fucking froze up.” He choked out pitifully. Gold had turned to lean against the counter.

He was quietly watching Springtrap as he spoke.  
“Froze up? Like… when you were younger?” Gold recalled Springtrap freezing up whenever things got particularly bad at home. Sometimes he’d still freeze completely and become unresponsive to anyone or anything until he managed to snap himself out of it.

Little things could trigger it without warning. There was no pattern to it. Completely random events could set him off but the sudden appearance of someone much taller and bigger than him was one of the worst triggers. Springtrap nodded sheepishly and rubbed his hands together nervously. Admitting that Gold’s presence had sent him into a spell felt horrible.

“I-It’s not that I don’t trust you!” He blurted out suddenly, looking at Gold with wide eyes.

Gold was a little surprised by his sudden outburst but merely raised his eyebrows.  
“I do trust you! I just… I don’t know.” Springtrap deflated again and dropped his shoulders, melting into the wooden kitchen chair. With only a few steps Gold was right by his side.   
  
“Hey, I know. It’s alright, Spring.” Gold used one of his huge paws to rub Springtrap’s shoulder reassuringly. Springtrap looked up at the taller male with a tired expression.   
“No, It’s not. I vomited and passed out.”   
“At least it was in the toilet?” Gold offered with a soft smile. Springtrap narrowed his eyes.

“That doesn’t matter.” Springtrap huffed. “I still passed out on you.”  
“It’s not like you missed much, man. The movie had a shit ending that made the rest of it look amazing in comparison.” Gold showed off his teeth in a grin. He was clearly trying his best to cheer the little bunny up. Springtrap gave him a lazy grin. Gold considered that a win.   
“It’s coming on again tonight if you want to really see it.” Gold added with a hum before turning to return his attention to their food. Springtrap couldn’t help the flutter in his heart.   
It was really going to be okay. Gold wasn’t mad or weirded out at all… He wanted to watch another movie with him! Springtrap was wide awake now. His little tail wagged in excitement.   
“Only if you watch it with me.” Springtrap said with a giddy smile.   
Gold let out a soft laugh. “Of course. I’d love to rewatch that masterpiece!”

When breakfast was finished and put on the table Springtrap wasted no time before devouring it. The toast was the first to go. He always ate the crust off of the toast before eating the middle.

Gold watched him do so with a curious expression. How had he forgotten that Springtrap did that? Springtrap didn’t notice Gold smiling at him. If Gold didn’t know any better, he’d say that Springtrap hadn’t eaten in a week with how fast he was inhaling food.

The man smiled at the rabbit before taking another bite of his food.

The horrible monsters known as ‘work’ and ‘responsibility’ drug Gold away from Springtrap’s company after breakfast. Before he left, Gold made sure to assure Spring that he wasn’t mad or upset with him despite the fact that the rabbit was still ashamed of what had happened.

Gold had pulled him into a tight hug, assuring him that he’d be back that night to watch the horrible horror movie that Spring had missed the ending to. 

Springtrap set out on a mission to actually clean his room up after the previous night’s events.

Had he frozen up in panic because he thought Gold would scold him for the messy room?

Whatever had triggered the meltdown wasn’t clear but he was sure as hell going to take steps to prevent it from happening again. 

Springtrap lit a pumpkin candle and set it on the nightstand next to his bed. The autumn scent would help get him in the mood for the party tomorrow despite it no longer being October.

Halloween fell on a Thursday that year which left most people throwing their Halloween parties the week before Halloween or a few days after. The weekend was the prime time for parties, afterall. The Halloween party was on November second and Springtrap was determined to stay in the Halloween spirit. He was going to be the spookiest skeleton there!  
The man smiled to himself as he began scooping up dirty clothes from the floor to toss into his hamper that sat by his closet. It didn’t take very long before the carpeted floor was clear of any clothing or empty water bottles. Springtrap realized with a wince just how dirty the room had been. He was far too cleanly to leave food in here, though. Even if he was a slob at times, he wasn’t going to sink down that low. 

Springtrap sat on his bed with a satisfied sigh and pulled out his phone to check his notifications. He had a single text from Foxy.  
  
_ Foxy The Pirate _   
  
Oh ... that name. Springtrap smiled fondly at the memory of how he’d received that nickname.

Foxy had been known for doing many… not so legal things. He always managed to find pirated movies for the group whenever they were getting together for a movie night.

It had started as a joke when Freddy had told the fox that he was the greatest pirate ever.

Even though it had been intended to be a passing joke it stuck around. Foxy took pride in the nickname and even showed up to a party dressed as a pirate once. Inside of his huge coat he had VHS tapes tucked away in the pockets. He really was the best movie pirate.  
  
_ ‘Are you n Gold going to the party tmorrow ???????’ _

Springtrap narrowed his eyes at the poorly written text. Why had he used so many question marks?  
  
_ ‘Yes. I’m guessing you are too?’ _

Springtrap quickly wrote back. It took a few minutes for Foxy to reply.  
  
_ ‘Hell yeah!!!!! Where else am I going to find cute girls???’ _

Foxy replied. Springtrap grinned wide and began typing back.  
  
_ ‘On your pirate ship?’ _   
  
_ ‘I could always use more girls ;3’ _ Foxy replied.

Springtrap snorted and stood to his feet. He needed to start making food for when Gold got there for the movie. He wasn’t eating out two days in a row.  
  
_ ‘Aren’t Chica and Chi enough for you?’ _Now Springtrap was asking for it.

Foxy replied almost instantly.  
_ ‘HAR HAR HAR. Very funny. _-_’ _

Both Chica and Chi had little crushes on Foxy back when they were in school. Foxy had an interest in Chica for a while but nothing ever came of it. Dating within the friend group was something everyone was slightly hesitant to try. If something went sour in a relationship it risked the entire group being put into an awkward situation. Relationships inside of the group were typically avoided. Springtrap sat his phone down on the kitchen table and drug a box of macaroni out of the cabinet. He checked the expiration date before putting it on the counter and trudging over to the fridge. Spring peeked inside and decided that he’d mix some hamburger into the pasta. His stomach growled in anticipation at the thought. The man’s ears perked up when he heard his phone buzz. It was another response from Foxy.  
  
_ ‘Did you hear about that attack near you?’ _

Springtrap raised his brows in surprise. He wrote back quickly as he began to write back.  
_ ‘No. I didn’t. What happened?’ _

Foxy only took a moment to reply.

_ ‘Some sick bastards attacked a kid on his way home from school. Carved him up like a jack o'lantern.’ _

The mental image made Springtrap cringe. People were sick. Another text came through.

_ ‘They lived but you need to be careful when your out n’ about.’ _

As much as Springtrap appreciated the warning, he couldn’t stop himself from typing and sending his next reply, correcting Foxy’s use of ‘your’ followed by a thank you and a reassurance that he’d be alright. He always locked his door and he had a baseball bat.

While the bat hadn’t been purchased with the intent of self defense, it would certainly come in handy if someone tried to get at the little ball of fuzz. He’d had no trouble living around here so far, though. Hopefully the attack was a one time thing and the violence would slip quietly into the night; never rearing its ugly head again.

Springtrap continued to casually text Foxy as he prepared food for Gold and himself.

The butterflies in his stomach wouldn’t go away the entire time he was preparing food.

How could he remain calm when Gold was coming back so soon?

Time passed him by quickly, thankfully. It didn’t take very long at all before there was a knock at the door. Springtrap had just finished putting the plates on the table when he heard Gold arrive.

His ears perked up and he made his way over to the door. Gold smiled wide as the door opened and he was greeted by the little rabbit once more. Springtrap gave him a wide smile that showed off his little buck teeth. That was yet another thing that the bear found adorable about Spring. With the door now hanging wide open the smell of food filled the hallway.

Gold’s ears perked up with great interest.

“Did you make something?” He asked with a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.  
“Not for you.” Springtrap grinned and stuck out his tongue playfully.

Gold put a hand to his chest, making a mock gasp.

“Weren’t you ever taught any manners?” Gold scolded sarcastically as he made his way inside of the small apartment. Springtrap spun around and began making his way into his little kitchen with an excited bounce in his step. Without thinking, he let out a quiet giggle. Once he realized that the sound had slipped out his ears drooped in embarrassment.

“I uh… suppose I wasn’t.” Springtrap murmured. There was a hint of shame in his voice from the slip up. Gold shut and locked the door behind him. 

“You have a cute giggle.” He complimented as he followed Springtrap into the kitchen.

Unlike Gold who thought the laugh was rather adorable, Springtrap found himself cringing at the fact that he’d let it even come out. He decided to just drop the topic altogether in favor of sitting down at the table. Gold sat across from him with an excited expression.

“Macaroni?” The bigger man question with a cocked brow.

Springtrap froze in his seat momentarily. Him and Gold used to eat macaroni all the time after school… Had he come to dislike it without telling him? Springtrap relaxed slightly when he caught sight of the smile that was plastered to Gold’s face.  
“Yeah…” Spring breathed out in relief. Why was he so damn tense? It wasn’t like serving Gold a food he wouldn’t like was going to piss him off, anyway. Gold was one of the most gentle people he’d ever known. Why was the thought of Gold’s disapproval making him feel so panicked?

If he were being honest with himself, he knew why. They were simply friends, though!

Sure they had some sort of mutual feelings for each other back in their early teens but they hadn’t ever acted upon it. Springtrap was scared to death of what would happen if his dad caught him with a boy. He’d already been accused of being gay by his father in the past.

Cutting that bastard out of his life was the best choice he’d ever made.  
  
Springtrap looked up at Gold with a soft yet confident smile.   
“Don’t tell me you hate macaroni all of a sudden….” Gold shook his head without hesitation.

“Who do you take me for? You’re acting like we didn’t eat six entire boxes of it in one night.”

Oh. Springtrap cringed at the memory. He definitely felt sick after that cheesy binge.

“That was fucking disgusting.” Springtrap spat as he narrowed his eyes.

Gold’s eyes widened in surprise at the rabbit’s sudden use of language. He wasn’t usually the type to use such strong profanity without a good reason. Springtrap merely smiled at Gold’s shock and grabbed ahold of his plate of food. Spring stood with a small shiver and gave Gold a little smile before turning and heading towards the living room.

“C’mon. We can eat on the couch.” He called out as he made his way into the other room.

Gold grabbed his own plate hurriedly before trailing Springtrap.  
“Have you been hanging out with Foxy?”

  
  
  


The movie started not long after they had settled down onto the couch together.

They sat in the same spots as before at opposite ends of the couch. Spring seemed to be creeping closer and closer as the night went on. He’d lean forward to grab his drink off of the coffee table and would settle down just a little bit closer to Gold each time until they were barely apart. The small space that separated Springtrap from the man next to him nearly made him shiver from anxiety. It was so tempting to move that final inch closer and lean against Gold.

Springtrap’s big green eyes slowly drifted up to look at Gold’s face. Was the bear paying attention to him? The decreasing space between them had certainly come to Gold’s attention. He was grabbing at his pants with a nervous expression on his face. Spring couldn’t help the smile that came to his face as Gold turned his attention away from the TV to look at him instead.

Spring’s hair was a fluffy mess and his fur was clean and shiny. There was a little purple bandana wrapped around his neck as usual. Small stars decorated the glittery fabric.

It was given to him by Foxy several years ago and he’d clung to it ever since. Being gifted anything, even something so simple was overwhelming for the little rabbit. He treasured the cloth as if it was one of his most precious possessions. Gold honestly knew it was.

“What?” Springtrap asked softly. Normally he’d be the anxious one in these situations but it seemed that something had washed over Gold.

The bear looked like he was about to break out into a nervous sweat. He was having an issue finding his voice, it seemed. He kept opening his mouth to speak but would close it before uttering a sound. Springtrap watched Gold with a warm smile. Gold finally spoke.

“You’re a dork.” He finally laughed out. Springtrap scrunched his nose up in a mixture of confusion and shock before Gold slipped his arm off the back of the couch. Before he could really react, Spring was pulled against the bear’s side. He let out a surprised squeak and tensed for a moment. Gold returned his gaze back to the horrible movie; looking much more content than before. Springtrap relaxed after a second and rested his head against the side of Gold’s chest. The closeness was overwhelming. Gold was warm and firm and real.

He wasn’t a cold pillow that was soaked with tears. He wasn’t a ragged stuffed animal that had been snuggled to no repair. Gold wasn’t a dream that would vanish in the morning, leaving Springtrap cold and alone in his bed in the cold winter mornings.

It took everything Springtrap had to not break down into happy tears. Gold was warm and there and real. The arm that was pressing him firmly into the man’s side reminded him of that.

“You okay?” Gold asked softly with a glance down at him. The silence was making him second guess making such a bold move. Springtrap was a sensitive person and the smallest things could either excite and delight him or cause him to panic.

“I’m fine…” Springtrap said softly. He gave Gold a reassuring smile. 

Reassured that he hadn’t done something to scare the little rabbit off, Gold visibly relaxed and lowered his ears with a happy sigh. There was a peaceful silence between the two for several minutes as they watched the protagonist of the movie struggle to find safety as they ran past a hoard of zombies. Springtrap shifted and leaned against Gold a little more.

“Do you want pizza?”

Gold looked at Springtrap with raised brows. He wasn’t sure if it was a serious question considering they had just eaten.

“Later.” Spring added once he realized why he was getting an odd look. Gold gave a small chuckle followed by a nod. Springtrap had grown accustomed to eating very little when they were kids so seeing him volunteering to actually eat more than was the minimum requirement to keep him alive made Gold smile a bit. Springtrap was really healing…

“Yeah.” Gold smiled. “We’ll order some.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to @Thekiddoissleepy on Tumblr for the art of Springtrap!! :)  
Go check them out! They're super talented and amazing!


	4. Pumpkins and Paint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to be much longer but I realized that I needed to split it into parts once it reached over ten pages... The following chapter will be MUCH longer. I didn't want to post such a long chapter and risk it dragging on for far too long.  
Expect another update VERY soon.

The sound of snoring woke Springtrap the following morning. He shifted on the couch groggily and grumbled in disapproval of the annoying noise that had disturbed him. What time had they passed out? He’d lost track of time after midnight came and went. They had been watching some low budget vampire romance movie when Springtrap gave in to the call of sleep. 

Gold was on the couch, sprawled out with his mouth agape. Spring sat up with a huff, staring at the sleeping bear as if his glares alone would get the noise to stop. Springtrap had moved down to the floor at some point during the night when he wanted to stretch his legs out and Gold’s presence prevented him from being able to do so. 

Breakfast sounded like a good start to the day. Despite his desire to curl back up into a cosy little ball on the floor and drift back to sleep, he wanted to get something in his grumbling stomach. The cold pizza on the coffee table didn’t look too appetizing. Gold had eaten most of it, anyway. There were a few pieces left but Spring didn’t feel like food poisoning was worth a slice of the cold cheese and pepperoni. The party was tonight after all and there was no way in hell he was missing it. Springtrap stood and began heading to the kitchen.

With a glance at a clock on the wall, Springtrap winced. It was already three in the afternoon. Maybe they had stayed up later than he’d originally thought. The man let out a small huff as he pulled open the fridge and began shuffling through it.

“You’re loud.” A gruff voice complained from the other room. His search for something edible had woken his noisy guest, it seemed. Spring shut the fridge door and paced over to the edge of the kitchen to glare playfully at Gold with a tired expression.

“You woke me up.” Spring huffed with crossed arms and a twitch of his ear.

“Shit, was I snoring?” Gold asked in a grumble as he sat up and stretched, kicking the blanket that was draped over him onto the floor. Spring only gave a firm nod before turning back to the task at hand; not starving to death. Gold seemed to be interested in this quest now as well and was by the little bunny’s side in a matter of moments. His movements were slow and sleepy.

“Anything edible?” The taller male questioned with a yawn. Springtrap shook his head.   
“Nothing that’s prepared, no…” Springtrap began making his way out of the kitchen, heading towards the bathroom. Gold took it upon himself to scrounge through the fridge in search of something to fill the angry void that was his stomach.

“We’re going out.” Springtrap called out from the hallway. “Let me brush my teeth.”

He added before shutting the door. Gold huffed and pulled out a small bottle of water from the fridge. His throat was killing him. 

It only took a few minutes for Springtrap to emerge from the bathroom. He’d taken the time to change as well. He was wearing a black hoodie with his little bandana over it and pair of old green sweatpants that were much too big for him. Gold was sitting at the kitchen table on his phone when Springtrap came into view. The rabbit seemed to be in a chipper mood that day.

“The party doesn’t start until eight.” Spring said softly as he picked a few stray pieces of lint from his hoodie. Gold climbed off of the high top chair he was perched on. Why Springtrap had chairs this tall was a mystery. The table was the perfect height for them at least.

“So we’ve got plenty of time. How long will it take you to do your makeup?” Gold questioned as he popped his back. Springtrap snagged his house keys off of a bookshelf where he’d tossed them quite carelessly and shrugged.

“An hour? An hour and a half maybe? I’ve gotta dye my face fur.” He hummed with a toothy grin.

Gold smiled and shook his head as he trudged over to the couch to retrieve his leather coat.

“I don’t understand why you pour so much time into these costumes.” Grabbing an already assembled costume from a store was always enough for Gold. He was a simple man who liked simple things, he supposed. Spring always liked to take that extra step to make whatever he did special or unique. As Springtrap pulled the front door open he couldn’t help but shrug.

“Someone has to.”

  
  


“You’re kidding.” Springtrap muttered as he stared at the menu. On the screen was a huge cup of pumpkin pie flavoured milkshake. Gold shot Springtrap a,  _ ‘Seriously _ ?’ look.

“That looks foul.” Gold cringed with a mock gag. “I bet it doesn’t even taste like pumpkin.”

“It doesn’t.” Came a voice from the kitchen area of the restaurant. 

A rosy-cheeked, pale skinned teenager gave the duo a tired smile.

_ “BB!” _ Springtrap beamed loudly as the brunette made his way up to the registers.

“How have you been, kiddo?” Gold asked with a content smile. He hadn’t seen the kid in quite a while. Even though Bryson was a few years younger than them, he had still been a fun person to hang around. The poor kid still had to suffer through the hell known as school. Poor bastard.

Juggling a job and homework didn’t sound like the easiest thing in the world.

Bryson gave Gold a  _ ‘What do you think?’ _ kind of look which earned a chuckle from the bear.

“Don’t tell me you dropped out.” Gold cocked his head sideways with a concerned expression.

“I wish. I just need some extra cash. Now I’m living the dream.” Bryson leaned forward and rested his elbows on the counter. He was about sixteen now. Time went by  _ entirely  _ too fast.

“I’m running on four hours of sleep and energy drinks.” The brunette muttered with a sleepy grin.

Spring gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, B.” Bryson shrugged and stood back up. 

“I’m alive. I certainly  _ don’t  _ feel like it but maybe tonight will make things better.” 

Springtrap’s eyes widened a little. None of them were twenty-one yet so tonight’s party would be full of underaged drinking and other substances that the rabbit had no desire to consume. Coffee, sugar and caffeine were his poisons. He’d leave the alcohol poisoning and drunk driving to everyone else. The fact that Bryson was planning on attending the party made him a tad uneasy. Even though they were only a few years apart the idea of the kid attending the party worried him. BB planned to get wasted, no doubt.

“You better have a designated driver.” Gold huffed with a stern look. Bryson nodded with a small smile, much to both Spring and Gold’s relief. 

“I do. I’m not  _ that  _ wreckless.” Bryson assured them with playful roll of his eyes.

“Sure. We’ll go with that.” Gold snickered. Springtrap smiled sheepishly and inched closer to Bryson. He gave one more glance up at the menu screen before ordering.

“Do you want the nasty ass not-pumpkin shake?” Bryson asked with a smile. Spring perked his ears up and grinned. “As a matter of fact, I do! Give me the smallest size you have.”

Bryson let out a genuine laugh at that. “Not brave enough to take on a large?”

“Even I’m not  _ that  _ stupid.” The rabbit mocked with a gentle smile.

  
  


Half. That was how much he was able to stomach of that disgusting abomination that was being advertised as a pumpkin shake. Springtrap had gotten an order of cheese curds with the shake and had finished about half of them before attempting to down the shake.

“This is disgusting…” He muttered quietly so that only Gold could hear. They had taken a seat by the big glass windows at the back of the restaurant. Bryson couldn’t hear them all the way over here but admitting defeat aloud was disappointing. Gold smiled and grabbed the shake from Springtrap. “It’s couldn’t be that terrible, Springy.” Gold put his lips around the straw that Spring had apparently felt the need to chew on. He took a long sip and winced.  _ Oh. _

It… certainly wasn’t good. Springtrap raised his brows and gave him a look that Gold knew meant, ‘I told you so.’ Gold surrendered the shake back to Springtrap and stood, holding onto the crumpled wrapper that his food had come in with the intention of finding a garbage can on the way out. The bear was still wincing from the aftertaste of the garbage he’d just consumed.   
“Let’s get going. I need to swing by my apartment to grab my costume.” Gold hummed in a sing-song voice as he turned and made his way towards the front door. Springtrap stood and shovelled a few more cheese curds into his mouth before grabbing the box and his shake and following behind. The shake, sadly, was abandoned in the garbage can followed by a sarcastic gasp of mock surprise from Bryson who stood at the register. He had fully expected the drink to be discarded. “How much of it did you manage?” He called out as Gold walked outside.

“Half” Was Springtrap’s brief response as he followed in the bear’s shadow.

Byrson chuckled and turned to one of his co-workers who seemed somewhat impressed.

Springtrap couldn’t believe he paid for that.

  
  


After a quick two minute pitstop at Gold’s apartment to grab his costume and water his plants that Springtrap didn’t know he had, they were back in Spring’s own home.

Gold made himself comfortable on the couch while Springtrap went to begin the process of dying his fur. Gold had initially offered to help but Springtrap insisted that he was fine doing it alone. If he needed help he’d ask for it. He also felt that if someone was watching he’d get nervous and mess it all up but he wasn’t willing to admit that to anyone, especially Gold.

He didn’t want to make the bear feel like he was nervous around him in the slightest.

Springtrap felt the same way whenever he drew as a child; if someone was watching then the final product was bound to turn out subpar. True to his word, Springtrap was done in about an hour. The skeleton outfit covered most of his body except for his face and neck. He’d dyed the fur from his neck up black and then used fur- paint to do the white of his skull. He added little lines along the sides of his ears to look like bones even if they weren’t anatomically correct.

The glitter was then caked on the white on his face. The sight was really actually quite cute.

He had gotten a pair of black contacts for the costume but sadly had managed to drop one of them in the toilet after they arrived. He always was a clutz, he supposed.

So one black eye and one bright green eye stared back at him from the mirror.

It wasn’t half bad, really. Springtrap excitedly wagged his little tail that had been slipped through the back of the costume. Tonight was going to be so much fun.

Spring bounded out of the bathroom with a bounce in his step. Gold was sitting on the couch, already in costume. He had apparently changed after being left alone. The only part of the bear’s costume that wasn’t on was his mask which was lying on the coffee table in front of him.

His eyes widened at the sight of Springtrap’s dyed, sparkling fur.

“Jeez, Spring. Did you mean to put that much glitter on?”

Springtrap stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry towards the bear.

“How mature of you.” Gold muttered with a flick of his ear.

“We have some time to kill before we need to get going.” The serial killer bear pointed out with a small yawn. He felt a little tired but once they got on the road he was sure to perk up.

“What’s on tv?” Springtrap asked as he took a seat beside the bear; much closer than he would have usually felt comfortable with to begin with. He was really coming out of his shell he wasn’t fully aware he had. Gold noticed and gave a small smile as he handed the remote to Springtrap.

“A bunch of cliche, low budget trash.” Was the response Springtrap got. The small skeleton rabbit crossed his legs and began scrolling through the channels.

“They’re already playing Christmas stuff?” Spring whined with a pitiful frown. 

“It  _ is  _ November, you know.” Gold’s reply didn’t seem to change Springtrap’s mind.

“It’s entirely too early and you know it.” The smaller man grumbled. 


	5. The Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out longer than I had planned. Future chapters will most likely be much shorter. Feedback on whether I should post shorter chapters more frequently or longer chapters a little less often would be much appreciated!

The drive to the party seemed relatively short despite both of the men’s excitement.

Springtrap was nearly bouncing in his seat on the way there. When they arrived to the house there were already several cars parked alongside the road, in the yard and in the driveway.

A group of people were out on the porch and the sight of flickering strobe lights inside reflected out onto the yard that was decked out with spooky ghosts, tombstones and other various decorations. Gold parked the car behind one that looked like it had seen better days.

The lights from the party reflected off the little bits of baby blue paint that remained and hadn’t yet been swallowed up by rust. Springtrap was out of the car first, bouncing up and down with a giddy grin on his face. Gold slipped his phone into his pocket as he pulled his mask over his face. It was a rather cheap costume but didn’t look half bad on him.

Springtrap had to contain himself and keep from running into the party and leaving Gold outside. Where this sudden rush of hyper confidence came from, he wasn’t sure. A few people recognized Springtrap as they approached the porch and called out a greeting or lifted a hand to wave subtly. The red cups in their hands made Springtrap slow his pace a little. They’d already started drinking. It wasn’t that surprising but he was well aware that a fight or two broke out every year and while they didn’t always end in a physical altercation, he was very afraid that they would. As soon as they stepped off the old wooden porch and into the house, the smell of alcohol and marijuana hit them. Gold perked up at the smell of the pot and Springtrap deflated a bit. At least it wasn’t cocaine in the bathroom this year… yet.

Springtrap hadn’t realized he’d frozen near the doorway until Gold took ahold of his much smaller hand. The feeling was surprising at first but wasn’t unwelcome. 

“You okay?” Gold asked in a soft voice. It was a little hard to hear over the blasting music and chatter from everyone else. Spring turned to Gold and nodded frantically with a wide smile. 

“Yeah! Just… it’s overwhelming at first.” The skeleton bunny muttered. The sound of a loud voice booming over the chatter of everyone else caught both of their attention.

The sight of red fur didn’t come as a surprise as the voice’s owner.

Foxy was standing near one of the food tables shirtless. He wore nothing but a green jacket and a pair of pants meant to look like robotic legs. He had that same damn hook on his hand that he had used for his pirate outfit but the other hand was now covered by what appeared to be a homemade futuristic gun. It honestly just looked like a muffler, though.

Spring and Gold approached with amused smiles as Foxy ranted on about something with excitement in his wide yellow eye. He was wearing that stupid eyepatch again.

“Space pirate?” Gold guessed with a sideways tilt of his head and a shit eating grin. Foxy smiled wide as he turned to face the bear. “See!” The fox boomed excitedly as he turned to Bonnie who was standing next to him. Bonnie looked like he was about ready to go home already. That would be a new record. The purple rabbit shook his head and crossed his arms as Foxy exclaimed; “Even Goldielocks gets it!” Foxy was clearly overly excited that someone had gotten his costume right. Bonnie simply rolled his eyes with a smile and turned back to the food table to snag a few more cookies that he probably shouldn’t have been indulging in. Gold went up to Foxy and gave him a half hug. Spring knew that they referred to it as a ‘bro hug’. Why they’d avoid going for a full hug was beyond him. Gold patted Foxy on the back just a little too hard.

“How have you been, you idiot?” The bear asked. Foxy pulled away with a delighted smirk on his face. He had probably chugged too much coffee not long before arriving.

Spring silently wondered if that would mix well with alcohol. He wouldn’t know.

“Not bad. Can’t really complain too much.” Foxy said with a pleased chuckle. 

“Have you drank yet?” Springtrap interjected softly. He was holding his hands together a little nervously. He hadn’t seen Foxy in what felt like ages.

“Shockingly, no.” Foxy admitted with a small laugh. “I may want to remember this party.”

“Or do you just not want to lose your little gun?” Freddy chimed in as he slipped into the main room from the kitchen. He was holding a clear plastic cup full of what appeared to be ...tea?

Of course the bear wasn’t getting wasted right off the bat. Foxy was always the one to get blackout drunk. Bonnie let out a loud laugh from the food table where he was having trouble deciding on what cookie he’d shove into his face next. Foxy gave the rabbit a sideways glare but didn’t bother to bark an insult his way.

“So what If I want to keep track of it? It took forever to make!” Foxy growled defensively.

Gold rolled his eyes with good natured smile as Freddy made his way over to greet the smaller man. Freddy was just a little taller than the other bear, making him the tallest (currently) in the circle. Foxy stood about as tall as Gold. Bonnie was just a little shorter than Foxy; minus his ears of course. Springtrap was the shortest of the circle in that moment. He was barely shorter than Bonnie but he still felt tiny compared to the other guys... 

Where were the girls?

Giggles from the kitchen let him know that they had congregated away from the loud, rowdy main room. It was probably a lot quieter in the kitchen, too. Spring wanted to go tell the girls hello but didn’t leave just yet. Bonnie finally made his way up to the others with three different cookies stacked in his hands. The purple rabbit’s nose twitched as he watched Gold, Foxy and Freddy go on about something he couldn’t care less about. Bonnie offered Springtrap one of the cookies but the smaller rabbit shook his head, turning it down.

“We ate a while ago.” Springtrap explained sheepishly. Even though he hadn’t had anything more than cheese curds and half of a poisonous milkshake, he wasn’t all that hungry right then.

He’d indulge in the junk food later. Right now he wanted to linger by quietly and scan the crowd. There were many faces that Springtrap recognized and many he didn’t.

A few humans were lingering nearby in a group dressed as animals. Springtrap smiled slightly when he saw a few rabbit costumes in the mix of cheap clip on ears and tails.

“They’re jealous of us.” Bonnie said through a mouth full of cookies. Spring narrowed his eyes at Bonnie for talking with so much food shoved in his face but smiled anyway.

“You think?” Spring asked softly as his gaze returned back to the group of humans.

“I mean, probably not.” Bonnie chuckled with a shrug of his shoulders. “But I mean… I’d be upset if I didn’t have fur. And life without a tail?” Bonnie took another bite of a bat-shaped cookie he had already eaten half of. Spring wondered briefly how humans managed to express themselves without ears to lower and perk up or tails to swish to and fro. He supposed that him and BB got along just fine, though. He was never around too many humans growing up. Then again, he really wasn’t around a lot of people growing up. School was the only reason he left his house until he met Gold and his other friends. 

“Do you wish you were human?” Bonnie asked with a raised brow. Springtrap shook his head without hesitation. There was no way he’d change himself; he’d be self conscious no matter what form he had. His anxieties would follow him through any form he took. Even skeletons could get anxious, it seemed. Why was he getting anxious?

“Hey-” Bonnie put a paw on Springtrap’s shoulder. “If they’re getting too loud in here we can go see the girls?” He offered calmly. The taller rabbit’s big magenta eyes stared down at Springtrap with such softness that Spring realized he must have looked tense. Springtrap nodded firmly.

“Yeah. I miss those dorks…” he admitted with a big buck-toothed grin. Bonnie nodded and began making his way through the crowd of people towards the kitchen. Springtrap followed behind silently with one glance towards Gold. He seemed to be having fun with Foxy and Freddy. Spring didn’t want to vanish on him if he didn’t have anything else to do. The other guys were here, though. Of course Gold was going to be entertained.

Inside of the kitchen was much quieter than the rest of the house.

The music seemed a little more distant and the booming voices of the guests were a little more tolerable once the door was shut. There was a fancy tiled island in the center of the room where the girls were sitting on high top stools. On the island sat a few drinks and a tray of meat, cheese and crackers that they had no doubt stolen out of the main room. Many sets of eyes fell on the two rabbits as they entered. There was a loud squeal, no doubt from Chi; as she came rushing over to nearly tackle Springtrap with a bone crushing hug.

“Spring Roll!” She squeaked and rested her face against his chest as she bounced up and down excitedly. Springtrap lifted his chin up to prevent his makeup from being smudged up and smiled sheepishly. Chica was sitting closest to Springtrap with a glass of wine in hand.

They had wine in here? Of course the girls had brought the fancy wines out for themselves.

“Hey there, Chi.” Spring greeted the little avian with a small hug in return. Chi pulled herself away from Springtrap to admire his costume with wide blue eyes.

“Did you do that yourself?” She questioned as Springtrap made his way to the end of the island to climb into an empty seat. He nodded with an embarrassed smile.

“Well, I helped him.” Bonnie shrugged nonchalantly as he made his way over to sit next to Springtrap. Chica shot Bonnie a look; she was well aware that he was lying.

“Oh, shut your mouth.” Mangle chirped up from the other end of the island.

“You couldn’t do decent facepaint to save your life.” The vixen added before popping a grape into her mouth. Bonnie flattened his ears with a huff. Mangle turned to a pale skinned brunette human that sat next to her. The woman was laughing softly into the sleeve of her green jacket.

“Do you remember that painting he had to help us with for our class project, Charlie?” Mangle asked with a genuine toothy grin.

The woman nodded as her smile grew and the other girls laughed.

“Hey!” Bonnie spoke up suddenly, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Doing face paint is way easier than painting a landscape!” He insisted, willing to defend himself to the grave.

Despite the fact that there was no real malice in the air, he seemed to be taking the insult a little too personally. He’d only taken that art class with the hope that the teacher would let him slack off and nap. Unfortunately, the teacher was having none of the rabbit’s games. Bonnie regretted going to that class from day one. Mangle scoffed and made a shooing motion towards Bonnie.

“Okay, alright, sourpuss.” The vixen snickered. 

She herself had dressed as some sort of princess that Springtrap didn’t know the name of. Chi had painted her feathers so that she resembled a peacock which honestly was probably the coolest costume Spring had seen at the party thus far. Chica was dressed like… Beetlejuice? Springtrap hadn’t ever seen the entirety of that movie. He’d only managed to catch bits and pieces of it whenever it was on TV.

Charlie was in a shiny black and red cape that rested over a black outfit; Springtrap wasn’t entirely sure which gender the clothes under the cape was made for. It wasn’t unusual for Charlie to wear men’s clothing, though. Judging by the splatters of blood under her lips and fangs on her teeth she was supposed to be a vampire. Springtrap hadn’t ever spoke with Charlie much but she seemed nice enough. She had another group of friends that she hung out with more than them. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy their company but she seemed to be more attached to her other friends.

Springtrap certainly didn’t blame her. With how hyper Chi was and how loud Foxy got, he was surprised she still hung around at all. The other members of Charlie’s friend group must have been in the main room with everyone else. 

“Have Tony and Bastion gotten here yet?” Springtrap asked as he snagged a cube of cheese off of the tray in the center of the island. Bastion was the third Bonnie and the smallest of the three.

He had bright blue fur and big, dopey green eyes. Bastion was a shortened version of his middle name- Sebastion. Mangle shook her head no before anyone else could answer.

“Running late, it seems…” Mari added softly. Springtrap jumped and tensed when the woman nearly whispered the reply in his ear. She had a nasty habit of seemingly appearing out of thin air behind people and scaring the hell out of them. In reality she was just _ very _ light on her feet.

The slender woman made her way across the room to the fridge and began rummaging inside without another word. Springtrap found himself clutching his chest and taking deep breaths.

Bonnie looked over at the smaller rabbit with a concerned expression. Springtrap waved him off though, letting him know he was fine even though his heart was still racing.

“Apparently-” Chica spoke up with a wave of her phone, “Tony fucked up Bastion’s makeup and they’re having to make an emergency stop.”

A round of giggles and eye rolls were passed around at the thought of poor little Bastion panicking over his violated face. Springtrap honestly felt bad for the other Bonnie.

Springtrap glanced up at the fridge where Mari no longer stood. Where she had gone was a total mystery, though. He certainly hadn’t seen her go back out into the main area.

* * *

Springtrap stayed in the room with the girls and Bonnie until he’d grown bored of sitting still.

He began shifting in his seat a lot more frequently which the girls instantly noticed.

“If you’re bored, Spring,” Mangle spoke up softly, “-some people are upstairs playing with a ouija board… if you’re into that kind of thing.” Mangle hummed and tapped her golden ring against her class a few times just to hear the noise it made. It was something she did often.

Springtrap’s eyes widened a bit. He’d never messed with anything like that before and had honestly been too scared to even dabble with it. Watching couldn’t do any harm though… right?

“I mean- If… someone goes with me-” the words had barely left Springtrap’s mouth before Bonnie perked up and volunteered. As much as Bonnie enjoyed the girls company, he certainly didn’t want to stay in the kitchen all night. He had to go and meet some _ real _girls before the night was over! All of his friends were off the table. Dating within the friend group wasn’t something Bonnie wanted to do. Springtrap wasn’t able to say another word before Bonnie grabbed his wrist and was leading him up the stairs. The doorway that led to the upper floor was right beside the door that lead to the main area. Absolutely no lights were turned on in the stairwell, making whatever waited for them above seem even more otherworldly and awful. Springtrap tensed a little and glanced back at the girls.

“Summon me a hot ghost boyfriend.” Chica requested sarcastically as Springtrap was led up into the darkness.

The ascent up the stairs was slow and quiet aside from the creaking of the old floorboards underneath the men’s feet. The addition of the Halloween decorations along dark walls both made the situation feel a little more weird and a little less scary. It felt like they were walking into one of those fake haunted house attractions that were decorated in cheap props and lame actors. This was really nothing more serious than that, though. Ghosts weren’t real and they had nothing to be afraid of. Still, Springtrap found himself whispering out to Bonnie quietly as to not disturb the people at the top floor. “Do you think ghosts are real?” he asked simply. Bonnie snorted in amusement and shot back with a confident, “Nah.” 

That was all Springtrap needed to feel a little more sure of himself.

Who actually believed in ghosts, anyway? Little kids and senile old people; that was who.

Seeing as Springtrap wasn’t either of these things, he puffed out his little chest a bit more, attempting to make himself both look and feel a little more brave.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they were greeted by lit candles surrounding a small coffee table and a small circle of people. They didn’t seem to be taking it too seriously considering how casually they were lounging about on the furniture or the amount that they were laughing. The lack of seriousness made Springtrap all the more comfortable even though the attic’s air seemed a little more stuffy than downstairs… It was a dusty upstairs room. What was he expecting? It wasn’t dusty because of ghosts. Did ghosts leave dust? Was that a thing they did?

“_ Yoooo…. _ ” One girl called out to the two with a hazy grin. She was obviously stoned. The human woman seemed to be about seventeen or so and had short, blue dyed hair and _ way _too many piercings. Definitely the type of girl to attend a Halloween party only to slip off into the darkness to play with a piece of cardboard. Bonnie lifted a hand and awkwardly greeted the girl.

Spring cringed at the lingering smell of pot as he took a seat on a vacant leather couch next to Bonnie. There was a dog girl and a few other humans in the small room.

“You guys believe in ghosts?” The dog girl asked as she leaned forward to rest her elbows onto her knees. Bonnie chuckled and shook his head. The dog didn’t seem offended in the slightest by Bonnie’s lack of belief, thankfully. She smiled and lowered her pointed ears.

“Oh yeah? What about Skellington over there?” The girl questioned.

Spring tensed up a little as almost every set of eyes in the room locked onto him expectantly.

“I mean,” The man fell silent for a brief moment. He didn’t want to offend anyone here by denying the existence of ghosts but at the same time he didn’t want to come across as crazy.

If there were people laughing and not taking this ghost summoning- or whatever it was- seriously, then he would most likely be safe telling the truth.

“I don’t think so.” He managed meekly. It was odd how his excitement for the party had dulled after he had arrived. Springtrap was by no means having a bad time but his eagerness had certainly died down slightly. Sometimes the noise and crowd were just a little too overwhelming for him. He was going to force himself to stay and enjoy this party, though.

There was a small laugh from the stoned girl as she nodded in agreement.

“It’s all bullshit…” she drawled on with a dopey grin. Bonnie lifted his ears up with interest.

“Then why are you up here?” Bonnie asked with a twitch of his ear. The woman giggled.

“It’s dark and quiet. What about you, bunny?” Before Bonnie could reply, Springtrap leaned forward and got onto his knees in front of the coffee table. 

“To summon our friend a hot ghost boyfriend.” He beamed confidently.

“Hell yeah.” The dog girl barked in agreement as she lowered herself on the floor directly across from Springtrap. Bonnie smiled a little at Spring’s sudden show of confidence and took his place on the floor beside the smaller man. He was happy to see Spring enjoying himself. It had been a while. A human man and two other women joined the circle. Some of them looked excited while others simply looked intoxicated and entertained. Springtrap turned and sneezed into his arm as a wave of dust was stirred up from the human’s sudden movements. This should be fun.

* * *

  
  


“Where’s Springtrap?” Gold suddenly asked with a concerned expression. He’d been so invested in Foxy and Freddy’s petty little argument that he hadn’t noticed the two rabbits depart. A pair of long, slender hands found their way to his shoulders as a soft, feminine voice whispered in his ear. He raised and tensed his shoulders as Mari made herself known.

“Kitchen, last I knew.” She said softly. The woman removed her hands from the man’s shoulders and made her way over to wrap Foxy in a firm hug. Foxy pulled her impossibly closer against his chest with a hearty laugh. Gold crossed his arms and shifted his weight, a little upset that he hadn’t noticed when Spring slipped out of the room. He felt like he had been ignoring him now.

“Bonnie was with him.” The woman added with a small smile. “He’s fine.” She was wearing a very form fitting black outfit that had a series of white stripes along the lower arms and legs. Three buttons went down the front of the outfit and the black-haired woman was clutching onto the doll mask that she’d taken off about twenty minutes prior. The mask was white with red blush on the cheeks and had purple tear streaks stretching down from the pitch black eyes. The mask was fixed into a wide, permanent smile. The pale skinned woman was chewing on a chocolate covered pretzel stick that would do absolutely nothing to her figure. She had a _ very _ hard time gaining any weight. Nobody ever heard her complain about it, either. Freddy took a small sip from the red solo cup he’d taken great care to write his name on the side of with a black sharpie. He’d written, ‘The Original’ right under his name. Gold had gotten a kick out of it. 

“He’s probably flirting with cute girls, Gold.” Freddy snickered. “But I’m sure he’ll leave you some.” Even though the joke had no intent to come off as rude, Gold couldn’t help but wince at the way his stomach churned at the idea of Springtrap flirting with girls. Was this jealousy?

He wouldn’t be surprised if he _ was _ feeling some odd sense of jealousy. His emotions for Springtrap were hard to explain, to say the least. He had a little crush on the rabbit when they were children and it had never really gone away. Springtrap had pushed Gold away briefly when they were kids but Gold knew exactly why. Spring hadn’t _ wanted _to push him away but he had done so because of fear. Gold wasn’t quite sure if the rabbit returned his feelings or not. The bear hadn’t exactly come outright and admitted anything to Springtrap, either. It was obvious to many people that the two had chemistry but Springtrap was just an innocent little sweetheart. 

It was incredibly hard to tell if the rabbit was flirting or simply being nice most of the time.

Gold was pretty sure that Spring returned his feelings to a certain extent, at least. On the off chance that Gold had been reading the signals wrong through the years, he really wasn’t sure how he’d handle rejection. His feelings for the rabbit had started not long after they met when Spring was about twelve or so. Gold hadn’t ever shown much interest in anybody else aside from a few short, loveless relationships that went nowhere very quickly. 

Chica slipped out of the kitchen, holding onto a fancy bottle of wine. She presented the shiny bottle to Mari, muttering something about her joining them back in the kitchen to chug it.

“Is Spring in there?” Gold interjected. Chica blinked; she was a little surprised that Gold seemed so concerned about Springtrap’s whereabouts.

“Uh. No. He went upstairs a little while ago-” That was all she got out before Gold glanced towards a staircase that led to the main upstairs area. There were two ways to get upstairs; one from the kitchen and the other was in the living room. He was going to see Springtrap and take his mind off of his worries. Gold ignored the sudden chill down his spine.

“I’m going to go check on him.” The bear muttered as he pushed his way past Freddy with his now-deflated ego. Freddy’s smile faltered as Gold made his way up the stairs, silently regretting what he’d said to the other man. Foxy watched as Gold vanished up the stairs, wearing a concerned look that was directed at Freddy. Foxy had missed what had been said and only caught sight of Gold slipping away as he came back with a full cup of apple cider. Freddy seemed a little embarrassed and unhappy.

“What did you say?” Foxy demanded in a gruff voice. Freddy’s blue eyes drifted over to Foxy as he lowered his ears.

* * *

The upper part of the house was divided into four separate rooms. There was a bathroom, two bedrooms and a large lounge room. Gold could tell by the shut doors of the bedrooms that someone had already locked themselves in. He had half a mind to go and inform Mangle that someone was defiling her sheets again but he had a feeling she knew it was bound to happen after last time. Maybe she’d wised up and locked them this year? He wasn’t about to try and enter the rooms to find out, either. He didn’t bother knocking on the door to the lounge room before pushing the dark wooden door open. The room inside was completely dark aside from the flicker of candles that lined the tables and nearby shelves. Springtrap was sitting on the floor next to Bonnie with a focused expression, seemingly watching the board beneath his fingertips intently.

Gold silently shut the door and ignored the few eyes that glanced up to silently greet him.

He knew how much these nerds could get into this little game. Speaking and breaking their focus wasn’t something he intended to do. Seeing Springtrap lifted a weight off of the bear’s chest. Seeing his big green eyes, (or right now a green and a black one) along with his fluffy golden fur always had a way of calming him. Springtrap’s eyes finally pulled away from the board as the sound of the door clicking shut caught his attention. Spring smiled wide, dropping any serious tone he had about him moments prior. Gold quietly crept through the dark room, being mindful and not knocking anything over or trudging over anyone’s abandoned coat or purse that had been thrown haphazardly onto the floor. Bonnie looked up from the board as well and gave Gold a toothy grin.

“We’re trying to summon Chica a hot ghost boyfriend.” The purple rabbit explained in a quiet voice. The dog girl turned to look at their new companion with an excited gleam in her eye.

“Wanna join? We could use your energy.” She offered with a wag of her long, fluffy tail.

Gold wasn’t someone who believed in things like this but he wasn’t going to argue with these people, either. Springtrap was clearly having a good time so who was he to deny the request to join in on this little game of make believe? The bear’s mask was resting comfortably on his forehead, pulled up just enough to where he could breathe but the black stretchy strap kept it from falling. The hockey mask glowed a faint green in the darkness of the attic.

“Sure. Why the hell not?” He shrugged nonchalantly and began making his way over to the table. Springtrap perked up excitedly as the human beside him made room for the bear to sit next to him. As soon as Gold sat down, Springtrap’s little tail began wagging furiously.

It wasn’t a conscious thing; he was just very happy and excited. Bonnie noticed the movement and glanced over at Spring’s tail with an amused smirk that Springtrap thankfully didn’t see.

Bonnie then shot Gold a knowing look before returning his attention back to the planchette in front of him. The dog girl was going on; rambling off how the board worked to Gold with genuine confidence in her eyes. When everyone leaned in to put their fingers on the planchette, Gold felt butterflies in his chest when his finger touched against Springtrap’s. The rabbit’s claws were short and blunt; a stark contrast to Gold’s long, black claws. He could never fully hide them, really. They always poked out of his fur no matter how short he filed them. Springtrap scooted away from Bonnie and a little closer to Gold as the dog began asking questions to the spirit once again. Bonnie looked up at the two; tempted to make a joke about being offended that Springtrap didn’t want to sit so close to him but when he saw how content both Gold and Spring looked, he couldn’t bring himself to say a word. They deserved the closeness; especially Spring.

* * *

“You son of a bitch.” The tiny blue rabbit growled out in anger. Foxy stood in front of him, holding onto the last red velvet cupcake. The fox had already eaten three of them before Sebastion had arrived, (not that the little rabbit knew this, of course). Foxy was playing dumb as to why he was the source of Bastion’s anger. Foxy swished his tail behind him slowly as he began to peel the paper away from the moist, red cake.

“What? I can’t eat a cupcake?” he asked in a mock-pout voice.

“You knew that I wanted it, you fucking bastard!” Bastion squeaked out angrily.

“Hey, hey-” Tony interjected with an annoyed huff as he put a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Calm down, B.” The bear said softly. “There’s other cupcakes. You really don’t need to get worked up over this.” Sebastion stomped his foot angrily against the floor. Foxy grinned wide; he was clearly satisfied over the rabbit’s little tantrum. Bastion jerked his shoulder away from Tony with an aggravated huff, then balled his little hands into tight fists.

“God dammit, Foxy! Just give me the fucking cupcake!”

Foxy shook his head and tipped his nose up, refusing to surrender it to the smaller man.

“No. You insulted my costume yet again. You’re not getting it until you apologize.”

Bastion glared daggers at Foxy as he crossed his arms, visibly internally arguing with himself. Should he give in and let the bigger man bully him into lying that the shitty costume was actually decent to win the treat? Somehow, going out with a bang and losing it sounded better...

“Fine.” he huffed with a submissive lowering of his ears. “I’m sorry I insulted your low budget, lame ass space pirate…” Freddy, who was currently standing nearby with a mouth full of nachos, nearly spit them out and onto Chica who was standing next to him as he tried to hold in a laugh. Chica made a squeak and lifted her arm up to shield her face from any pieces of nacho that may or may not have managed to make their way out of Freddy’s mouth.

Tony blinked with wide eyes, watching as his little boyfriend stared the fox down.

Foxy’s look of surprise shifted into his ever-cocky signature grin. 

“Damn, pipsqueak.” Foxy held out the cupcake to Bastion with a sincere impressed look.

Sebastion was seemingly equally as surprised as everyone else when Foxy patted the rabbit on the shoulder once the treat was in his small hands. The blue rabbit smiled and went to say something but didn’t get the chance. Sebastion had come dressed as Harley Quinn to match with Tony who was dressed as the Joker. Foxy saw his opportunity and struck.

“Glad to see you’re standing up for yourself, Bastion. You’re quite confident for someone who got their makeup done by a child.” 

A new wave of anger washed over Bastion and he stomped his foot angrily, barking horrible insults at Foxy, (who nearly toppled over from laughter). Tony held his hands together nervously and kept his gaze low; still quite embarrassed that he’d messed Bastion’s face paint.

While the two _ had _ been able to fix it to a certain extent, it wasn’t as precise or pristine as it was before the little… accident. 

Even though Foxy and the rabbit were constantly spewing insults at each other, there was no real hatred between the two. Bastion was like a little cousin to Foxy. He was the perfect age (and size) to pick on. Springtrap was far too sensitive to jab at and even if the yellow rabbit didn’t get so emotional and take things so seriously, Foxy knew better than to jab at someone who had been broken so badly in the past. He’d been picked on enough by the people meant to protect him. Even though the entire friend group helped glue Springtrap back together, his wounds were no doubt deep and still hovered over him. Why was therapy so expensive, anyway? Springtrap insisted that he didn’t need it but everyone felt like they were walking on eggshells when bringing up anything about his past.

Bastion rolled his eyes and took a bite of the cupcake with an annoyed flick of his droopy ears, attempting to calm himself. Foxy really could be an ass sometimes. 

The fox’s eyes drifted over to a small group of people gathered by the door. There were a lot of people here this year that Foxy didn’t know. There were definitely a lot more humans this time around; not that Foxy minded. There were plenty of pretty girls lingering around. What more could he ask for? There was one face in the crowd that stuck out more than the others, though. There was an odd man in the mix of humans. His hair was a dark purple that reached down to his shoulders. It was a frizzy mess that reminded Foxy of fur more than hair. The man held himself in an odd way; almost like he was both trying to puff out his chest to show that he was large and strong but wasn’t quite sure if he should shrink in on himself to blend in. Foxy hadn’t the slightest clue what the man’s costume was supposed to be. His skin was painted a light purple and he had magenta colored eye contacts in. They had to be quite expensive; Foxy hadn’t ever seen contacts that eye catching before. Sebastion glanced over in the direction where Foxy was staring with a curious expression. Tony had slipped away from the two at some point and vanished into the kitchen to see the other girls. Freddy had taken Chica and gone elsewhere as well, leaving only Bastion and Foxy standing together. Mari’s location was always a mystery. Despite the multicolored costumes scattered through the party, this man seemed… odd. Even though this was a costume party where everyone was encouraged to dress as scary or weird as they liked, this man stuck out like a sore thumb.

Maybe it was the way he held himself or how he’d been silently slinking around the party since he’d arrived about fifteen minutes ago. 

Foxy turned to Bastion with a somewhat uncomfortable look. Something about the man made the fox uneasy. He quietly asked if Bastion knew who the man was and when he was met with a _ ‘no’ _, both of them decided to slip into the kitchen after Tony. The purple man kept eyeing them which was making Bastion uncomfortable. Foxy made sure that the rabbit slipped into the kitchen first out of pure instinct to make sure that the smaller man was safe. Foxy followed after.


	6. With Friends Like These

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Hopefully, updates will be more regular!

The party stretched long into the night. Many people went home very intoxicated, but Mari and some of the other girls were making sure that nobody went home driving drunk.

Mangle had made her spare bedroom available to avoid anyone getting hurt. She had heard way too many horror stories of people dying on the way home from parties, and she didn’t want to be the cause of someone’s untimely death. Many people were still hanging around despite how late it was. The music had been turned down a reasonable amount, however. Angering her neighbors wasn’t something that Mangle wanted to do. There had only been one breakup this year, so the girls counted that as a win; compared to the four the last year and two the year before that. Foxy had broken down and cried at least twice that night; mixing alcohol with that fox was always a gamble. Sometimes he would break down like the world around him was burning up and killing him, and other times he would just be a flirty, dorky mess of fluffy red fur. Tonight, after he had clung to a cat girl and rambled on about how much he hated the new episode of his favorite show, he had nearly vomited on her. He barely managed to make it to a garbage can that the Chica’s had generously placed around the house for their guests who didn’t know when to quit.

The little get-together upstairs had disbanded a while ago and all of the ‘ghost hunters’ had come downstairs to mingle with the drunks and see what food was leftover. Springtrap had been at Gold’s side for the entire night for the most part. They had all congregated a table in the living room after they had finished their failed demon summoning. Foxy and the cat girl sat at the table with the others, even though Foxy was now suffering from a horrible headache. Bonnie and Bastion were there as well, conversing with the group and stealing all of the grapes on the table that had now become room temperature. Chica and Chi sat among them along with Mari and Tony. The others were elsewhere in the house, either conversing with guests or making sure that those leaving were okay to drive or had rides. It was nearly three in the morning, but the party animals hadn’t had enough, clearly. Charlie had departed around one in the morning with her fingers intertwined with a man who had messy brown hair. She had said her goodbyes, then slipped out the door with a bounce in her step. The rest of Charlie’s human friends followed her, returning home for the night before losing their dignity like many of the other guests had that night.

“We should go out to eat tomorrow night.” Chi was saying as she bounced excitedly in her chair. Despite the time, she was still as bouncy and energetic as ever. Springtrap watched her with a tired, content smile as he leaned against Gold, resting his head on the bear’s shoulder.

“That would be fun,” Bonnie chirped as he sat his cup down on the table. He hadn’t drank much that night; his poison of choice was root beer and junk food rather than alcohol. Everyone at the table murmured soft agreements at the idea of going out, except for Foxy, who looked like he was about to pass out. 

Springtrap was very sleepy but he refused to go home just yet. Even though he was exhausted, he refused to miss out on whatever the rest of the night had to offer. Gold was his ride home, anyway, so he didn’t want to ask to leave until Gold was one hundred percent ready. Their fingers were intertwined where their hands rested on Gold’s lap. They had become increasingly more touchy and close as the night went on, much to Bastion’s hushed delight. The entire group had taken notice, and even though nobody said a word, it was clear that everyone was very happy that the two were finally getting closer. Their affections for each other had always been painstakingly obvious, but life hadn’t really been kind to them in the past. There was nobody here to judge them for it, though. Spring was an adult and living on his own; his father had no say so in who he chose as a partner or friend, and his entire being longed for Gold’s companionship.

Even though no words had been exchanged about their feelings, and they hadn’t vocally confessed how they felt, it didn’t need to be said. They both knew how the other felt.

Springtrap was completely content with snuggling against Gold as he did his best to remain focused on the conversation at the table. He was tired, but with the loud music and chatter surrounding him, there was no chance he would be falling asleep.

“How’s that sound, Spring?” Gold asked with a content hum and downward glance at the bunny.

Springtrap smiled and looked up at the bigger man. “I mean… if you’re buying.” he teased half-heartedly. Gold let out a deep chuckle and shook his head.

“After making you stay out this late? I owe you.” The bear chirped happily.

Springtrap felt butterflies in his stomach and chest as a small shiver ran through him. Gold was entirely too nice to him; all of his friends were. Bonnie shifted in his seat and looked at the two with a tired grin. “Are you heading all the way back to Spring’s?” He asked in a low voice.

Before Springtrap could open his mouth to speak, Gold was already answering.

“He’s spending the night at my place since it’s closer.” 

Bonnie raised his eyebrows and glanced between both Gold and Spring with a teasing look.

“Yeah. Uh Huh.” The purple rabbit snickered. “I’m sure that’s the reason.”

Bastion let out a small giggle from where he was sitting, and Spring found himself rolling his eyes instead of shying away out of embarrassment. Something about tonight felt different.

When he would normally be a nervous, blushy mess, he found himself having more confidence.

Barely any anxiety had reared its ugly face throughout the entire night, and the golden rabbit silently wondered if he was simply getting over his fears and anxieties or if Gold’s near-constant presence was a factor. Either way, it was something he wanted to cling to.

There were very few moments in his life when he had felt so safe and carefree. Springtrap felt confident; he felt brave, and he felt happy. The rabbit smiled and clung to Gold a little tighter.

Whatever the cause of this sudden absence of anxiety, he wanted to stay this way.

Springtrap shivered and pressed a little closer to Gold. Despite the warmth radiating off of the man pressed against him, Springtrap still found his skeletal costume to be much too thin. The fabric wasn’t doing much to keep him warm, so with a small huff, he pushed himself away from Gold. “I’m going to get my jacket from the car.” He hummed with a pleasant smirk plastered to his face. Bastion and Bonnie glanced over at him but didn’t say anything as they continued conversing with Chi. Gold looked up at Springtrap and gave a quick nod. He reached into his pocket to retrieve his car keys, and they were placed in Springtrap’s hands without hesitation. “Don’t get lost.” Gold teased with a playful snicker. Springtrap clutched onto the keys without missing a beat. He returned the bear’s grin with a toothy one of his own. 

“Oh, yes, because the yard is just so vast and confusing.” Spring lifted his ears up confidently before turning to head towards the front door. A few remaining partygoers gave him a half-interested glance as he made his way past, yet he didn’t curl in on himself as he normally would. He felt confident and strong despite his size. The rabbit straightened his back and held himself with a little more confidence as he pulled open the front door and stepped out onto the porch. He ignored a couple that were standing near the banister, much too involved in each other to notice him. The sight made Springtrap wince in disgust. Why couples insisted on making out in public like that was beyond him. He had never understood it, and he had a strong feeling that he never would. 

The Halloween decorations were still shining bright; the multicolored lights illuminated the grass in the yard, making the moisture on it glisten in the orange and purple glow.

Springtrap kept his ears perked up as he made his way to the car. The street looked barren and sad now despite the number of people who still remained inside the house. 

Unsurprisingly, the air out here was much colder than it had been inside the house.

There was a faint breeze that made Springtrap shiver and shrink in on himself a little, but he found himself next to the car in no time. He slid the keys into the lock under the passenger door handle and pulled it open. His hoodie was lying on the floorboard right where he had left it.

The plain black fabric was hard to spot in the darkness, but the faint glimmer on the silver zipper gave away its hiding place in the dark. Spring leaned into the car and grabbed onto the jacket with a satisfied little smile, then slipped it on. The sound of the zipper made him relax; for some reason, he had always liked the sound of zippers. He wasn’t sure if it was because the sound of his zipping backpack meant he was on his way to school as a child, or if his love for the noise stemmed from the camping trips he and his friends went on for fun in their childhoods.

Memories of burnt marshmallows and campfire stories came rushing back to him, and as he shut and locked the car door, he decided that he would suggest a little camping trip to the group once he got back inside, for old time’s sake.

As soon as he turned away from the car, an unfamiliar smile met him. The person in front of him had scraggly purple fur, long, pointed ears, and a buck-toothed smile that mirrored his own. This stranger was much too close for comfort, and it sent Springtrap scrambling a few steps away from the odd purple rabbit. Upon closer inspection, Spring realized that it wasn’t a rabbit at all. The man in front of him was a hare. The long ears, bigger build, and long legs were a dead giveaway. The stranger’s whiskers were mangled and bent, but considering he had dyed his fur purple for whatever he was dressed up as, Springtrap had a feeling that he had bent his whiskers to match the costume. The hare gave the smaller man a friendly smile and took a respectful step away. “I didn’t mean to startle you, I apologize.”

Springtrap, for some reason or another, wasn’t truly fearful of this hare. His heart wasn’t racing like it should have been when confronting someone who was much larger than himself.

There was an odd sense of calm, even though any normal person would have been hurrying back up to the house and leaving this tall, weird man behind in the darkness.

“It’s … alright.” Springtrap muttered awkwardly. He eyed the hare with a curious gaze. 

His response made the hare grin, and the bigger man tilted his head curiously.

“It feels nice, doesn’t it?” The man asked, practically purring. That made Springtrap feel just a little more uncomfortable. Was this stranger high? That was the only thing that he could think of. Maybe the twisted whiskers weren’t for the party after all.

“Does what feel nice?” Spring asked with a confident, inquisitive squint.

“Not feeling scared. Not having anxiety.” The hare snickered.

Springtrap’s heart sank at those words. How in the hell did this person know he had anxiety, and on top of that, how did he know he wasn’t feeling it right at this moment in time? Spring didn’t recognize this person; he couldn’t recall having ever seen him anywhere before now. Surely he had been invited to the party, though. His appearance assured Springtrap that someone at the party knew him, so surely he couldn’t be all that bad? He was definitely odd and creepy, but he was showing no signs of being a threat. Despite that, the entire situation felt awkward, and Springtrap wanted to slip away and go back inside to snuggle against Gold’s side.

“I’ve seen you around before.” The hare began to explain, “I’ve never seen you so confident.”

Springtrap relaxed a little at the explanation, but the way that this person had snuck up on him in such a creepy manner definitely put him off. 

“Who are you?” Springtrap asked suddenly. Never before had he seen a hare at any of the previous parties, yet this person was acting like they knew him well.

“Me? Well, you can call me Will, I suppose.” The hare chirped back with a chipper smile that failed to reassure Springtrap that this person was normal. The hare was awkward and held himself in an odd manner, as if he wasn’t quite used to the long legs that he sported.

Will was wiggling his fingers constantly and clutching his hands open and shut, like he didn’t know what to do with them. Springtrap took another step away from Will in favour of heading back up to the house. “It could stay like this forever, Spring.” Will continued. 

Springtrap blinked in bewilderment. “What could?” 

“How you feel.” Will hummed with an awkward little wiggle of his clawed fingers.

Springtrap looked even more puzzled than before. He had no words, but Will continued talking.

“The lack of stress? This confidence you’re feeling? That’s me.” Deciding that yes, this man was definitely on something, Springtrap took another weary step away. 

“Alright. I’m going to go back inside, Will.” Spring muttered as he took another step towards the house. It was still quite a ways away; it would take him at least thirty seconds to get up there if he ran. The couple on the porch were still much too invested in each other, so they were of no help. What if this hare was trying to abduct him? Horrible, scary thoughts filled the rabbit’s little mind and he took several more steps away from Will. In turn, Will took a step towards him.

There were no visible signs that the hare meant any harm, but his odd mannerisms and his utter nonsense were making Springtrap uncomfortable.

“Why don’t you stay for a minute and talk?” Will hummed with a pleasant grin. Springtrap shook his head and continued to slowly back his way up to the house, never taking his eyes off of the man who was much too close for comfort. Talk? What was there to possibly talk about?

“My friends are waiting for me,” Spring began to mutter. His confidence was beginning to fade, and his ears were starting to droop. He was doing his best not to show his discomfort to the hare, but his dissolving bravery was obvious by the way he was beginning to curl in on himself. 

“I’m sure they can wait a while longer, yeah? I’ve been waiting all night to talk to you.”

“L-look,” Spring stuttered as he took another step away. “I don’t even know you,”

“I told you my name. You asked for it earlier.” Will said as he inched just a little closer. With a small intake of breath, Springtrap puffed out his chest in a futile attempt to make himself look bigger. “I’m going inside.” He spat as he tipped his nose up at Will.

He didn’t care who this weirdo had been invited here by; he wasn’t going to be harassed by  _ anyone _ . There were people inside who actually respected him and made him feel safe.

This stanger,  _ Will-  _ Will didn’t make him feel safe- quite the opposite, in fact. The hare grinned so wide that it left Springtrap wondering how it didn’t cause the hare physical pain. Will showed off all of his teeth, including the sharp buck ones that could easily rip into someone if he desired.

“After calling me to you? How very rude you are, Springtrap.” 

That was it. Panic surged through the smaller man and within a moment, Springtrap had turned and was bolting up to the porch as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn’t bother to look over his shoulder to see if Will was following. He just wanted to get back inside.

Springtrap scrambled onto the porch and came to a halt as his heart raced wildly inside of his ribcage. His legs were trembling, and all semblance of bravery he had earlier in the night was gone. His anxiety had returned, it seemed, and he wanted to lean over the railing and vomit. 

The couple that had been on the porch were gone now, which left him feeling even more hopeless and alone. With one quick scan of the yard from the safety of the porch, Springtrap realized that the hare was completely gone. The only thing that remained out there were the cheap decorations. The thought of the hare crouching behind one of the styrofoam tombstones made the rabbit’s anxiety spike, but the fear was unfounded. That man had been much too large to hide behind any of those decorations. He was gone, but Springtrap had no idea where he had gone  _ to. _ With one more intake of the cold night air, Springtrap turned and pushed his way back inside; back to warmth, friends, and the people who made him feel safe.

Springtrap walked across the living room without making eye contact with anyone. He was heading towards the table where Gold and the others sat; nobody else concerned him, and he could care less what they thought of his now deflated ego. As he took his seat next to Gold once again, his anxiety only heightened. The rabbit did his best to hide his sudden nervousness, and it worked for the most part. This was just how he normally acted, anyway. He made himself small; he was someone who always strived to blend in and go unseen. Nobody suspected that something was amiss, and he wasn’t going to bring it up, either. Will was gone, and if he was lucky, he’d never run into him again. Spring decided in silence that he was going to ask Gold if he knew the hare later, but for now, snuggling back up against the bear’s side helped him calm down. Gold was warm, and as the bear wrapped a gentle arm around Springtrap’s side, the rabbit’s little tail began wagging. His heart eventually slowed down, and as his anxiety began to fade away, sleep began to overtake him. He barely clung to consciousness, and his friend’s words became nothing more than noise. He pressed himself against Gold’s side a little more, and fought the urge to sleep.

* * *

A sudden jostling movement pulled Springtrap from whatever pleasant dreams he had been having, and panic set in. The rabbit looked around the unfamiliar territory with a panicked expression. Thankfully, Gold was right next to him, and noticed his sudden panic. The bear stretched his arm out and offered a paw to hold for comfort. “Hey, hey, you’re okay.” Gold murmured in a soft, reassuring voice. Springtrap relaxed as soon as he realized he was in the car. 

“I didn’t want to wake you,” Gold continued with a gentle purr. “-so I carried you out.”

Springtrap took hold of Gold’s bigger hand as he relaxed back into the passenger seat.

“I didn’t get to say goodbye.” Spring replied in a small voice.

“We’re getting together tomorrow for dinner.” Gold assured him. “You’ll get to say a proper goodbye without Foxy crying all over you and muttering nonsense.” 

Springtrap smiled a little and kept a gentle hold on Gold’s hand as he gazed out the window. The street lights paled in the early morning’s glow. How long had he been out?

One glance at the small, digital clock in the car told him that it was about six in the morning.

Gold had most likely stayed extra late to help clean up and make sure everything was in order. Springtrap felt a small twinge of guilt that he had slept through the opportunity to be useful, but there was no point in beating himself up over it. “I’m hungry.” He blurted out suddenly.

Gold chuckled from the driver’s seat and looked over at the sleepy rabbit. 

“Yeah? What we scraped together for the party wasn’t enough for you?” He teased. Springtrap stretched his legs out and yawned as he shook his head, ‘no’.

“Let’s get something in a drive-thru somewhere.” Spring suggested in a groggy voice.

Gold nodded and turned his attention back to the road in front of him.

“I take it you’re too tired for a movie tonight?” he questioned.

Springtrap shot a glance at Gold before snuggling back into the car seat.

“Tomorrow morning.” The rabbit replied with a sleepy murmur. 

“It  _ is  _ tomorrow morning.” Gold argued with a cocky grin. Springtrap merely rolled his eyes and held onto the bear’s hand a little tighter.

It only took about ten minutes for Gold to find a restaurant, and the two were sitting in the parking lot with breakfast sandwiches within a matter of minutes. Springtrap was sitting cross-legged with his seatbelt undone, listening to the radio in silence as Gold devoured his egg and sausage muffin. The woman on the radio was rambling on about the weather and the oncoming local events that Springtrap couldn’t care less about. 

“Do you know a hare named Will?” He finally asked, breaking the silence. Gold looked over at him and finished chewing the comically large bite he’d taken before replying.

“A hare? ...No. I don’t think so.” Gold took another bite of his sandwich and leaned back a little in his seat. “Why?” He questioned with a raised brow. Springtrap glanced down at his own sandwich. He’d already eaten half of it, but it seemed that his appetite was gone.

“Someone at the party… introduced himself to me. He said his name was Will.” 

“I don’t know him.” Gold shrugged with a tired expression.

Springtrap hesitantly took another bite of his food despite no longer being hungry.

That hare was going to be a weird, uncomfortable memory. That’s all he would ever be.

Spring wouldn’t complain if he never came face to face with that bent-whiskered weirdo again.

“Was he cute?” Gold asked through a mouthful of egg and sausage. Springtrap looked up at him and blinked in bewilderment. Will was odd, creepy, disturbing, and overall unpleasant.

“Not in the slightest.” Spring finally huffed with a flat expression. He was much too tired to muster up a smile, and too exhausted to do anything more than listen to the woman rambling on the radio. Despite the little nap he took, he was still exhausted. Gold’s voice pulled him from his sleepy trance, and his attention was pulled away from the woman on the radio who was rambling on about some upcoming Christmas event. It was only November third, and the overwhelming amount of Christmas cheer was making the rabbit dread the following months of carols and sweets. He’d come to be quite bitter towards the holiday in truth. 

“I have a blow up mattress at my house, or one of us can take the couch and the other can have the bed.” Gold rambled on as he wadded up his cheesy wrapper and shoved it into an empty cup holder in his door. Springtrap leaned over towards him, extending out his partially eaten breakfast. Gold eyed the food, then looked up at Springtrap.

“I’m not taking your bed,” Springtrap assured him as Gold took the sandwich from his hands. 

“I’ll decide where I’ll sleep when we get there,” he added as he curled back up against the seat.

Gold flattened his ears and gave the smaller man a smile.

  
  
  


As they pulled into Gold’s driveway, Springtrap couldn’t help but perk up in awe. He hadn’t been here since they were kids. The house was on the outskirts of a smaller town that Spring had often rode to in his childhood. It was much quieter and prettier than the town that Spring had once called home. The house in front of them was once Gold’s parents, but as of six months ago, it was now Gold’s own little slice of heaven. His parents had finally taken their retirement funds and moved to Florida to live out their retirement in peace, which left their only child with a house to call his own. It was much roomier than the tiny apartment he had been living in beforehand. Springtrap looked over at Gold with a dopey grin. It was an odd feeling seeing the moss stained white walls again. It was in the process of being fixed up, he could tell, but somehow seeing that decade old moss go made him feel a little sad. 

“It’s weird, huh?” Gold hummed from the driver’s seat as the car slowed to a halt. Spring gave a small nod and made a move for the door handle. The morning air was chilly and made him shiver as he stepped out onto the whiterock drive, but it felt nice to breathe in.

“It’s… weird being back here.” Spring muttered as he began slowly making his way up to the worn wooden porch. 

It had been roughly six years since he’d been here, which would have made him thirteen the last time he’d seen this old place. The last night he had come here was a horrible, somewhat fuzzy memory that he really didn’t want to dwell on for too long. He had run off after one of his father’s more physical tantrums. The only thing he had taken was a small bag of belongings before he hopped on his bicycle and rode down here in the dead of night. It had been freezing and the wind was wild, which scared him half to death, but he feared going home just a little bit more. It had been a Thursday night when Springtrap had shown up on the back step, shaking, bleeding and petrified. His claws had scraped across the glass sliding door in a desperate attempt to get Gold’s attention. The back door was closest to the bear’s room, and thankfully the noise had been enough to get his attention. 

Springtrap had clung to him all night, and he clung to Gold all day at school the next morning.

Gold had tended to the rabbit’s wounds, but most of the night was fuzzy and hard to recall now.

Springtrap shook away the memory and shut his car door.

“I’m kind of awake now,” Springtrap said as he looked across the yard curiously. There were no other houses in sight, just like he had remembered it. If he was to walk to the end of the driveway and peek around the treeline, he would be able to see other homes in the distance, but he had always appreciated the privacy of Gold’s odd little yard. Gold glanced back at Springtrap as he made his way up to the front door with his keys in hand.

“Yeah? What are you saying?” The bear questioned with a toothy grin. 

“We should watch a movie.” Springtrap suggested as he climbed the steps and onto the porch to stand behind Gold. He doubted that he would be able to stay awake through the entire thing, but having Gold close as he dozed off was a comforting idea. 

“A Christmas movie, perhaps?” Came Gold’s sarcastic reply. Springtrap lowered his ears and shot him a playful glare. “Not while I’m still in my Halloween costume,” He huffed with a defiant crossing of his arms. Both parties let out amused chuckles as the front door was pushed open.

“Yeah, alright, Bunny Bones.” Gold shook his head with a wide, toothy grin and led the way inside.


	7. The Words you Fear

The sound of soft snoring was the first thing that registered to Springtrap. He turned in a futile attempt to get away from the noise, but as it persisted, he gave up attempting to fall back asleep. The rabbit sat up from the couch where he had dozed off with a groggy sigh. His vision was slightly blurry, but as soon as it cleared, his surroundings made his heart sink. He was at Gold’s house. The night before seemed like it had stretched on for days, and what was really this morning felt like ages ago. One glance at the clock that hung above the tv told him that it was about two-thirty in the afternoon. They didn’t have to be anywhere until seven that night, but there wasn’t a very good chance that Springtrap would be falling asleep again any time soon.

The source of his awakening was situated at the opposite end of the couch, curled into a comfortable, golden ball. Spring pulled the blanket Gold had given him a little closer to his chest as he shivered. The room was freezing, and the ever-present scent of dye reminded Spring that he needed to wash his fur sooner or later. As much as he adored the skeleton outfit, all good things had to come to an end eventually; even Halloween. It was November, now. Halloween would have to live in his heart until next fall, he supposed. The rabbit’s big green eyes drifted between Gold and the wall clock as his sleepy haze continued to ebb away ever so slowly. He was still exhausted, but going back to sleep wasn’t an option. Waking Gold was out of the question; Spring was much too timid and polite to wake his host for such a small inconvenience. Gold needed sleep, anyway. Their little get-together tonight was going to be draining, Spring knew. There were two possible outcomes of the fast-approaching night; either the girls would drain him of what little energy he had, or he’d find an odd, sudden burst of energy that he would have no way to burn off. Finding a way to let out his energy in a packed diner wasn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world, and Springtrap knew that sitting still in those red leather seats for such a long period of time would become boring rather quickly. Someone in the group would most likely invite everyone over to their place to spend the rest of the night fooling around, but whether or not he would have the energy for such a thing was yet to be seen. If Gold wanted to go, though, Springtrap wouldn’t object. He was his ride home, after all, and even though the diner was closer to Springtrap’s apartment than Gold’s house, walking didn’t seem too pleasant.

Not only was it going to be freezing, but the spike in violent crimes was just icing on the cake.

Either way, Springtrap would be spending his night around the group whether he had the energy for it or not. 

Breakfast wasn’t a current priority, so with a small intake of breath, Springtrap stood and began making his way silently through the living room. The bathroom was just down the hall past the kitchen, and the dye in the rabbit’s fur was about to say its final farewell before vanishing down the drain forever. Springtrap successfully snuck down the old, creaky hallway without rousing Gold, and silently shut the bathroom door behind him to muffle any noises he was sure to make. The shower wasn’t silent, after all. Normally, he would have been too scared to even dare use someone else’s shower, but this was Gold’s shower in Gold’s home.

He had used this shower many times, whether it was on planned sleepovers or surprise visits when he was bleeding and sobbing in a storm. That memory seemed to be making itself comfortable in the rabbit’s mind, and as much as he hated to say it, he was well aware that memories of that night wouldn’t stop until he was out of this house. He adored this place, but the memories attached to it weren’t all pleasant. The rabbit leaned onto the bathroom sink with a disgruntled wince. The cream-colored surface had certainly seen better days. The faint cracks that lined the old countertop hadn’t been completely erased by past attempts to hide its flaws.

He gently tapped his claws onto the surface and forced his eyes open as wide as they could possibly go. It was a weak attempt at waking himself up, but the tapping of his claws proved to be a pleasant distraction from the memories he would have rather buried forever.

One glance down at his black claws reminded him that he needed to file them down later. His fur was his top priority, though. Finally, with a small inhale, Springtrap looked up into the mirror plastered to the wall. His makeup, just like he knew it would be, had been ruined. The white had smeared and mixed with the black, and with a heavy heart, he began to slip off his shirt. He needed to shower to get the dye out. If he was lucky, it wouldn’t stain the floor and walls, but on the off chance that it did, he was fully prepared to scrub until his arms were numb.

As his shirt fell to the bathroom floor, the rabbit shivered from the cold air. A warm shower sounded like a dream, and afterward, he’d scrounge up something to eat. 

  
  


Springtrap stood motionless under the stream of hot water. His eyes were glued to the floor as the water rinsed the dye from his fur. The back and white swirled around in the water before being sucked down the drain. It was almost hypnotic, and Spring caught himself having drifted off several times. What felt like a minute could have been five; he really wasn’t sure how long he had been in the shower, but he tried to hurry it along. His fur was scrubbed clean with some kind of strawberry shampoo that had been sitting on the ledge of the shower when he got in. It was working, though, so scent didn’t matter. He wasn’t overly fond of the berry aroma, but it wasn’t the end of the world. He could always wash the fruity smell out when he got back to his apartment that night. The thought of getting home was comforting, but that also meant leaving Gold. There was always bad that came with good things he supposed as the last of the dye was sucked away into the pipes. There was always a price for comfort, and he was beginning to wonder if he would feel hopelessly alone being at home after spending so much time with his friends. The sudden isolation would surely have a negative impact on him, but how severe it would be wasn’t clear yet. Sometimes he felt perfectly fine when he got home and away from it all, but the faint feeling of sadness in his gut promised him a long night of feeling down and depressed. What would things be like once he returned home, anyway? What were him and Gold? His feelings, albeit never having been spoken, were genuine and known. It was clear to him now that Gold felt the exact same, yet neither of them had done anything more than hold hands and snuggle against each other the night prior. Friends snuggled….right? There were platonic hugs and kisses, so why wouldn’t there be platonic snuggles? These emotions he felt weren’t platonic, though. This feeling made him anxious and energetic, and he wanted to throw up just thinking about it.

The rabbit nervously looked down at his feet, continuing to allow the warm water to soak into his already drenched fur. It didn’t take a detective to figure out that what the two yellow furred idiots had was genuine; it was love. Whether they liked it or not, their little puppy crushes had remained and blossomed into something far more permanent. Springtrap loved Gold, but that word had never been spoken out loud. Neither of them had even admitted to _ liking _ each other. The word _ ‘Love’ _ carried so much weight to it that Springtrap was fearful of saying it. What if Gold’s feelings weren’t as strong? Sure, it had become abundantly evident that the bear at least had a crush on him, but _ ‘love’ _ was such a big, scary word. Love was for dedicated couples or close family members; it was a word often said yet very seldomly meant. Even if Springtrap loved Gold, saying it wasn’t something he could just _ do _. Making things awkward seemed to be the rabbit’s specialty throughout his childhood, though it had never been his intent. Suddenly blurting out his feelings had the potential of making things weird, and if he had to wait to say those three special words to Gold, he would. Saying them with confidence that he would be able to hear them in return was better than blurting it out too soon and ruining it all. Gold was his second crush and the first person he had any true feelings for. His family would hate him if they saw him now…. That thought brought a sad smile to the rabbit’s face, and as he leaned forward to turn the shower off, he tried his best to be content with it.

Ever since he’d gotten away from the party last night, his anxiety seemed to be through the roof. Staying over at Gold’s house was certainly a factor. The mere idea of them being anything more than friends was both exciting and petrifying, but he had to suck up his nervousness if he wanted a shot at finally achieving his wildest desire that he’d had since he was twelve. The passage of time was still hard to believe; how he was already eighteen was beyond him, but he was still alive and kicking despite never expecting to make it this far. Living to adulthood wasn’t something he had ever counted on, but now that he was here, he felt a little lost. It was like being thrown into an unexpected situation, only the situation was not dying. It was one of his many unhealthy issues, Spring knew. Now that he had successfully lived to adulthood, nothing felt quite like it should. He still felt like a kid, deep down, and even though he hadn’t changed much in appearance or attitude since meeting Gold, he was different. His voice had deepened ever so slightly; his face had thinned a little, and he finally grew into those big buck teeth… more or less. They were a common trait in rabbits, he knew. He had been teased about it relentlessly through his childhood to the point of despising being a rabbit. Out of all of the animals he could have been born as, why a rabbit? Springtrap was everything that people thought rabbits were, in all honesty, and it made him want to hide away from everyone. He was weak, timid, shy, and anxious. Granted, not all rabbits had these traits, just like not all bears were strong, but he hated that he was exactly what the world expected of him. He fit the mold of a rabbit; he fit the mold of a horrible, unwanted bastard. As the water stopped pouring down on him, Springtrap began to wring the wetness from his fur. He stepped out onto the navy green bathmat that was probably older than him and grabbed the blue fuzzy towel that was hanging from the towel rack.

Gold fit the mold of a bear, but he fit it well. Gold was strong and confident when he needed to be, but he was also an individual. He was a sweetheart with a gentle touch and a heart of...well… gold. Unlike Gold, Springtrap didn’t have much that truly made him an individual. He was just… him. He didn’t have any hidden talents or an exciting life; he was an average man living from paycheck to paycheck. The fact that he was currently unemployed was a concern but now wasn’t the time for him to worry over every little flaw in his life. 

If he hadn’t saved every penny he had leftover, he wouldn’t still be in his apartment. Unless his luck turned, he’d have to consider asking someone to allow him to stay with them until he could afford to go out on his own again. His last job was a simple one, but after one too many employees screamed and nearly sent him into a panic attack, he couldn’t continue working as a sales clerk. His employer had refused to move him somewhere where he didn’t have to face the nastier people as often, so he had quit. Nobody in the group really knew why Springtrap had become unemployed, but he was well aware that it could become a topic of discussion tonight.

Admitting that a few people yelling at him was his reason for being a burden on society didn’t sound too exciting, but Springtrap wasn’t one to lie unless it was for his own safety. 

Three soft knocks on the bathroom door made him jolt and nearly drop his towel onto the floor, but he successfully caught it before it had the chance to touch the tiles.

“Spring?” Gold called from the other side of the door. It was clear by his voice that he had just woken up, and Springtrap felt an irrational pang of guilt for not asking before using the shower, despite the fact that Gold had reassured him that he was free to use it whenever he wanted….every single time he came over. The guilt died away as soon as it had came, and he wrapped the towel around himself with a small shiver. “You can come in,” Spring called back as he turned to examine himself in the mirror. Gold was one of the only people that he felt comfortable enough with to be seen in a towel; they had snuck off to go swimming so much as kids that it was a familiar sight. The door slowly opened, and Gold greeted Springtrap with a happy little wiggle of his ears and a toothy grin.

“Are you hungry?” He questioned in a still-sleepy voice. Springtrap turned his attention away from the mirror where he was inspecting his dye-free fur and gave a quick nod.

“Yeah.” He hummed without any sign of hesitation. Avoiding breakfast wasn’t Spring’s plan today, Gold realized with a relieved sigh. 

“Waffles, then?” The bear questioned. There was a quick excited flick of Springtrap’s tail that Gold didn’t miss, and the rabbit was nodding not even a second later with excitement in his eyes. 

* * *

The car ride to the restaurant felt short and weird. Something about the entire day had felt off to Springtrap. His confidence he’d had at the party was nearly nonexistent now, and he was back to stuttering, jumping, and struggling to keep his head up. The day had been uneventful after breakfast; it had been filled with cheesy horror movies and awkward jokes as both Gold and Spring settled back down on the couch. Springtrap wasn’t sad, but he was back to his old self, it seemed. He barely had the confidence to hold Gold’s hand halfway through the last movie, and when the time to leave finally rolled around, he beat himself up over not having pushed himself up against the bigger man more. He wanted to be held and snuggled, yet his anxiety had prevented him from taking what was so clearly being offered to him. Nothing had been acknowledged yet, and it was beginning to wear on the man. He wanted to blurt out that forbidden ‘L’ word already and hear it in return, but now wasn’t the time or place.

Tonight was a get together with friends; there was nothing romantic or special about it, and Springtrap continued to remind himself of that fact. He and Gold, despite how touchy and snuggly they had been since last night, weren’t a couple. Nothing had been said to assure Springtrap that even thinking that they were was alright. He had to hear something aloud for it to feel true and acceptable, so until there was spoken confirmation of their affections, he would keep his desires to himself, even if they were innocent and soft.

As they neared the diner, an odd sense of sadness began to well up inside of the rabbit. His time with Gold was nearly up for the night, and he would be back to being alone with just himself and his plants. This wouldn’t be the last time he would be able to hang out with Gold and he knew that, but it felt like these last few hours they had together would be the only chance of finally confessing his feelings he’d ever get. Anxiety was a horrible, suffocating thing, and Springtrap wasn’t happy to have it return. The radio offered very little comfort; only spitting out annoying songs that Springtrap didn’t know or like. It didn’t take long to arrive at the diner, though, and he was thankful for that. As much as he enjoyed the breeze in his fur, he felt cornered and a little carsick. He was doing his best to smile through it all, and Gold hadn’t caught on that Springtrap was nervous in the slightest. The parking lot of the restaurant wasn’t very full, but there was still a decent amount of people inside. Springtrap could practically hear the chatter already. 

Whether he liked it or not in the end, he was doing this. Seeing his friends was the pleasant part, but the bright lights, constant noise, and nonstop interaction was going to quickly drain him.

The cool of the evening air was a comfort, and Springtrap took in slow, deep breaths as he stepped out of the car and shut the door. His hoodie was wrapped around his waist, and the cool air blew the fur on his arms in the soft breeze. Gold flashed him a toothy grin, and Springtrap gave him a buck-toothed smile of his own as they began to head inside.

The sounds of chatter could be heard from outside, albeit muffled, and it only made Springtrap feel all the more overwhelmed. The air inside of the diner was colder than Springtrap would have liked, but it wasn’t bothering him enough to go through the effort of sliding his jacket on. Gold led the way inside and greeted their waitress with his typical, cheery smile. Springtrap followed in his shadow; appearing as nothing more than a meek, uninteresting follower. It was funny how even after all of these years, Springtrap followed Gold around like a child clinging to their mother. Gold was bigger and physically stronger; why wouldn’t Springtrap let him lead the way? The table where their group was had already been filled with several familiar faces, and a few stray new ones. Boyfriends and girlfriends, Springtrap quickly pieced together. He’d seen many of these people at the party last night, but he didn’t truly know them. The inclusion of strangers into the circle of friends made him a little wary of being too open, but as he took a seat in between Gold and Freddy, he felt at ease. All of his anxieties seemingly melted away once more and his ears perked up ever so slightly. He was feeling confident again, just like he had at the party. It was strange and seemed to come and go without reason. Was this going to become a common occurrence? Would he get random bursts of energy and confidence from time to time without rhyme or reason? It seemed to happen whenever he was out and around bigger crowds, which made very little sense to him. Large numbers of people, especially ones he didn’t know, always petrified him, only now they seemed to be giving him confidence he never knew he had. It made no sense, and as he relaxed in his seat, he began to wonder what the source of his newfound confidence was. Maybe he was finally getting over it all, and experiencing anxiety would become a rare occurrence. Surely, that was far too good to be true though. Gold’s presence was one of the possibilities that crossed his mind, yet when they were alone together, the confidence had vanished. The soft voice of the waitress pulled Springtrap from his thoughts, and he looked up into the she-wolf’s eyes without missing a beat. He had been to this diner many times; he didn’t need to look over the menu to know what he was going to order. Just like clockwork, he rambled off his order of cheesy fries and a hot dog before handing his unused menu to the woman. She swished her fluffy grey tail behind her with a delightful little smirk before continuing down the line of patrons to take their orders.

Springtrap, feeling energized and bubbly, turned to face Foxy, Bonnie, and Chica who were seated directly in front of him. He wasn’t sure how long they had been there before him, but Foxy was already munching on a plate of onion rings with a tired expression on his face. He was worn out, clearly, but Springtrap was happy that the fox hadn’t bailed out on them.

“You good?” Springtrap asked with a curious cock of his head. Foxy glanced up at the rabbit and let out a low grunt. Bonnie was seated right next to Foxy, which not only gave him the opportunity to steal more of the fox’s food but allowed him to speak to Springtrap without yelling. There were several tables pulled together to accommodate the large party; the outer row had chairs while a long booth stretched along the wall. Most of the group was too far away for Springtrap to talk to, but the smaller group of friends he’d come to know first was all he needed.

He liked everyone else, yes, but for the longest time, it had been just him, Gold, Foxy, Freddy, Chica, and Bonnie. He felt much more comfortable around them than most of the others.

Foxy leaned forward on the table, giving Gold and Springtrap the most miserable look he could muster. “I told you to get home early, bud.” Freddy chuckled lightheartedly. 

“Yeah, yeah. Shut it, Fazfuck.” Foxy grumbled before shoving more food into his mouth. 

Chica jumped in with an excited little wiggle in her seat. “Oh, Oh, did you guys hear about that meteor shower going on next weekend?” Springtrap wiggled his nose with interest as Chica began rambling on about the best times to go stargazing for a chance of glimpsing a shooting star or two. Before he could focus in on the details of when and where she wanted to have a little get together to watch the event, he found himself pushing away from the table. Chica glanced at him momentarily to make sure everything was alright before realizing by his awkward little smile that he was excusing himself to the bathroom. Nothing needed to be said, so Springtrap slipped out of his chair and began walking towards the bathroom. The black and white tiles under his shoes were grossly sticky, but that was typical of the diner. It wasn’t grotesque by any means, but no matter how many times he saw the employees mopping, the floor still had a permanent sticky feel to it. Nobody paid him any mind as he made the short journey to the bathroom. The door was painted a greyish green color that Springtrap despised, but he despised what he saw inside even more. The overhead lights were mostly burnt out, leaving only a singular, dim bulb to illuminate the tiny room. The light hummed and flickered, threatening to give out at any moment just like the others had. The bathroom’s walls were painted a dark grey, which only added to the darkness barely being held at bay by the singular light source. As eerie as the bathroom was, Springtrap brushed off the feeling of unease and stepped inside. There were only two stalls in here, both of which were vacant with the stall doors hanging wide open. Bits of shredded toilet paper were strewn across the floor near the small, metallic garbage cans that sat next to the toilets. It looked like a feral cat had shredded them, but Springtrap wasn’t too concerned about their backstory. He wanted to use the bathroom and get out as fast as possible. The small space felt extremely claustrophobic, and it reeked of something familiar yet unknown.

It wasn’t a foul smell, but it wasn’t one that you would expect to find in a bathroom. Springtrap shivered and stepped inside, letting the push door close silently behind him. He made his way into a stall as quick as he could, wanting nothing more than to get back out to relatively fresher air and friendly smiles. Unlike whoever had been here before him, Springtrap didn’t throw any garbage on the floor. As the sound of the flushing toilet echoed off the walls, Springtrap swore that he heard the sound of the door opening and closing. He stood silent for a moment, but when no sound of shuffling feet or closing stall doors came, he assumed that he’d misheard.

Spring stood on the tips of his toes to stretch his aching legs, then opened the stall door and mozied over to the sink. One quick glance around told him that nobody had entered, and a sideways glance into the opposite stall promised him that he was alone. With three pumps of soap and a happy little wiggle of his tail, Springtrap turned his attention to washing his hands. He had always enjoyed foam soap; the texture was soothing, and even if it was considered childish to enjoy things as small as the texture of the soap, he still enjoyed it. As the fruity foam was rinsed from his hands, another noise made him freeze up. It sounded like the faintest shuffling of feet… directly behind him. There were no mirrors in the bathroom, so whoever was behind him wouldn’t be seen until he mustered up the courage to turn around. It was most likely Foxy, he realized with a relieved huff. That bastard took every chance he could to prank and startle people. 

  
Springtrap flicked his wrists to rid his hands of some of the water clinging to them as he let out a chuckle. “Alright, I know you’re there, so-” As Springtrap turned around, the face that met him wasn’t long and pointed. There was no red fur or yellow eyes on this person, only dark, purple fur and large, blank, blackened eyes. There was barely any sclera visible, and it frightened Springtrap. He jolted and staggered back as his heart began racing wildly in his chest. The hare. It was the hare.

“_ Will _.” Springtrap choked out breathlessly. The hare leaned forward ever so slightly, hunched over and towering over the much smaller man.

“Yes. You know me.” He purred. He was grinning that horrible, toothy grin. His whiskers were still a scraggly mess, and the strange smell from earlier was stronger now than ever, but Springtrap still couldn’t place it. “What the hell are you doing?” Springtrap asked in a fearful tone. He realized with a wince that he was cowering, and he did his best to recover from the embarrassing display of fear.

Will let out a soft sound that Springtrap wanted to say was a laugh. Whatever the noise was, it wasn’t natural. The hare straightened his back, showing off just how tall he truly was in comparison. It made Springtrap’s heart sink and his stomach twist. 

“What am I doing?” Will parroted with the faintest twitch of his nose. “Well I suppose I just wanted to say hello, is all.” He hummed. Springtrap wasn’t buying it; none of this added up. Will had done nothing except stalk him, creep him out, and ultimately make him want to run away in terror. At least this time, if he needed to, he wouldn’t have to run as far. One glance at the door told Will all he needed to know, so with a small ‘tsk’ and shake of his head, the hare stepped in front of Springtrap’s only exit. Spring took another step away from Will. If he screamed, people would surely hear him, but whatever Will could manage to do to him before someone got there frightened him to the point of silence. “You are very rude, you know.” Will hummed out with an ever-present grin.

“I’ve only wanted to talk to you, and this is the second time you’ve tried to run off on me.”

“You’re stalking me!” Springtrap blurted out angrily. Out of instinct, he had taken a defiant step closer to William as he spat it, but he retreated back to his original position moments later once he came to his senses. There was no possible way he could take Will in a fight, and he wouldn’t dare try.

“I just want to speak with you. It’s not my fault you’ve run away.” Will huffed as he narrowed his big, black eyes. How anyone’s pupils were that big, Springtrap wasn’t sure. Were those contacts?

Springtrap shivered in fear as Will eyed him like a predator; he most definitely felt like prey. Will’s long ears lowered, and the sight of aggression on his face petrified the rabbit.

“I had to find some way to speak to you alone, yes?” Will continued in a slow, steady voice.

“What the hell would we possibly have to talk about? I don’t know you! I just met you last night!”

Springtrap argued with a furious stomp of his foot. There it was again. There was that confidence he’d never had before; he wasn’t shying away in the face of danger. He was finding the courage and bravery to stand up to someone... Springtrap stilled as Will let out a chuckle.

“That’s me, I told you. Isn’t it wonderful?”

Springtrap shook his head in confusion. “Wh-”

“I can give you that courage, Springtrap. I can take away your anxieties… your fears. You can be strong, You know. I can make you strong.” 

Springtrap jolted and took several steps back as Will took a few steps closer, speaking up again.

“I told you last night. You asked for my name, and I gave it to you, although not in the fashion you would have liked, I’m sure.” 

Springtrap shook his head in bewilderment. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“The planchette. You asked for a name. I don’t like crowds, so I thought it would be more fitting to introduce myself to you in a more personal way.” Will’s smile grew impossibly wider, so much in fact that it no longer looked natural. The uncanny way his face stretched made Springtrap want to back away even further, but there wasn’t much space left to inch away before he’d be pressed against the stall doors. The sound of his heartbeat was thrumming in his ears, and it was painfully obvious that he was fearful of the hare in front of him. Will didn’t speak another word. He just stood completely still with that horrifying grin and those big, blank eyes. The black of his pupils seemed never-ending. There was so little white in the hare’s eye that Springtrap wondered briefly if there was really any there at all. Bravery and confidence had been thrown out the window at this point; Springtrap was trembling in fear as the bigger man loomed far too close for comfort. The only sound other than Springtrap’s panicked breathing was the hum of the lightbulb struggling to cling to life. It became painfully apparent by how still Will was that he wasn’t breathing. His chest and shoulders weren’t moving as a normal person’s would. There was no possible way anyone normal could hold their breath for this long without showing signs of being uncomfortable, and as the moments ticked on, the undeniable fact that something was terribly wrong with Will became apparent. He wasn’t normal; none of this was normal. After what had to be at least a full minute of uncomfortable silence, Will spoke, breaking the tense quiet much to Springtrap’s relief and horror. He couldn’t take much more of staring into those horrific eyes.

“Do you understand what I’m saying, Springtrap?”

“You’re fucking crazy.” Springtrap spat out with a shake of his head. This hare had clearly stalked him here. The little get together was only for the smaller group; it wasn’t an open invitation to everyone who had been at the party last night. How Will had even gotten wind of this was beyond him. Unless someone in the group had told Will about meeting here for some reason, the only other option was petrifying. Considering that Springtrap hadn’t ever seen Will until last night, he had his doubts that he had been invited here. Cornering someone in the bathroom wasn’t exactly a socially acceptable thing to do; even someone as socially awkward as Springtrap knew that. Whatever drugs this man had taken made Springtrap extremely fearful of what his motives were. Before he could play out every horrific scenario in his head, Will continued.

“Crazy isn’t the word I’d use. My mind is fully intact.” The hare wiggled his long, clawed fingers as he spoke, only serving to make Springtrap feel even more uneasy. The movement wasn’t natural; just like the night before, it was stiff, odd, and disturbing. 

“You’re stalking me.” Springtrap hissed again. “That’s pretty fucking crazy.”

“Are wolves crazy for stalking deer in the wild? No. They need to stalk their prey to get what they need.” Will gave the smaller man a toothy grin. Springtrap’s voice came out shaky and fearful as he spoke up once again, practically pinned against the stall door at this point.

“And I’m your prey?” He questioned. Will softly snickered and shook his head.

“No, not prey. You called me to you, Springtrap. You _ all _called for me, and I came, but you stood out from the rest of them. You are a fearful little creature, and I could fix that.” Moving far too quick for Springtrap to dream of pulling away in time, Will grabbed ahold of the rabbit’s arms. His hold was firm but not nearly enough to hurt. The hare examined him with a contemplative expression, and his claws gently traced over the golden fur.

“You don’t have much muscle, do you, rabbit?” He asked in a gentle tone. Springtrap trembled and closed his eyes, bracing for the worst. Would Will harm him? Either way, he wanted to puke.

With one good yank, Will pulled Springtrap away from the stall door and out into the middle of the bathroom. He lifted the rabbit’s arms up and turned Spring around effortlessly. The hare’s strength was alarming, and the way he was being manhandled was making Springtrap queasy.

Will was nearly pressing himself against Springtrap’s back; the small space separating them was far too small for comfort. Springtrap’s legs shook and he stared down at the floor as Will held onto his forearms, shaking them gently.

“You’re weak, cowardly, and alone… aren’t you?” Will’s voice was softer now, almost as if he was a concerned mother. If he was attempting to soothe Springtrap, he was failing miserably. When silence filled the small space of the bathroom again, Will’s voice only deepened as he repeated himself. “_ Aren’t you? _”

The air in the bathroom felt much colder than it had before, and as Springtrap sucked in a deep breath of it, he tried to gather enough courage to respond. What could he say to that, though?

He wasn’t going to admit that he was weak despite the fact that he so clearly was. Will, whether he was on some sort of drugs or not, was delusional. He had shown no desire to hurt Springtrap, and for that the rabbit was thankful. The fact that Will continuously brought up the ouija board and insisted that Springtrap had somehow called him was alarming. Did this weirdo actually believe that he was a ghost or something? As much as curiosity gnawed at him, Springtrap knew he needed to get out of the bathroom and quick. Will didn’t try to keep ahold of the smaller man’s arms; he allowed Springtrap to yank himself away and scurry back to the safety of the stall’s wall.

As soon as he reached the cream-colored metal, he spun around and tipped his nose up in an attempt to make himself look angry. The pitiful display only made Will grin, though. He wasn’t intimidated by the little runt in front of him; quite the contrary. 

“You’re trying your best, at least.” The purple hare hummed with a flick of his long ears.

“Deep down, you’ve got energy in you, Bonnie.”

“Don’t call me that.” Springtrap hissed as he narrowed his eyes. The rabbit’s aggression was clearly exciting Will, but exactly why wasn’t clear. Since he had revealed himself to Springtrap mere minutes ago, the rabbit had gone through anger, fear, and everything in between.

“These emotions are confusing for you… aren’t they?” Will asked.

Springtrap didn’t reply. What was there to say? Will was acting as if his mere presence had been giving Springtrap confidence and keeping his anxieties at bay. It was an outlandish claim and Springtrap wasn’t going to have any part of it.

“Let me go,” Springtrap growled. The fear he had shown mere moments before was gone now, replaced by courage and anger. Will gave an amused laugh.

“I’m not stopping you.” He murmured as he stepped to the side and away from the door. The movement wasn’t natural; he had stretched his leg out as far as it could go, then slid across the floor in a stiff, disturbing manner. Nothing about this hare was normal. Springtrap glanced between him and the door, unsure whether this was some sort of trick or test.

“You can feel alright forever, Springtrap. The world is your enemy, and I think it’s time you put on some… armor. You need to protect yourself.”

“I can protect myself just fine,” Springtrap snarled as he began marching towards the door. He had no idea what this psychopath was proposing, but he wanted absolutely no part of it.

“You couldn’t as a child,” Will growled out in a low, animalistic voice. “And I don’t think you can now.”

Springtrap froze. He wanted to leave so badly, but his heart was back to racing in his chest; or, maybe it hadn’t ever calmed and returned to normal. His mind drew a blank, and he stood with his back to Will for several moments as he gathered his thoughts. 

“How do you know about my childhood?” was what finally slipped from his trembling lips.

“I know more than I should, Springtrap. I know that you fear the unknown. You despise the smell of alcohol, despite going out to parties and acting like everything is okay. You hate the darkness and the idea that souls can linger on and suffer even after death, despite playing with devices to try and contact them for your own entertainment. I know that you’re a coward, who after seven years of clinging by someone’s side is afraid of a god damn word that holds very little meaning to it.”

Springtrap turned slowly to face Will. His bravery was gone, and tears were welling in the corners of his eyes as he faced the taller man once again. Will stood tall with that painfully wide grin. His hands were hidden behind his back, and in the center of his blackened eyes, two glowing white circles now shone.

“I can fix you.” Will offered in a gentle voice. Slowly, one of his hands extended to Springtrap. 

“I’m not broken.” Springtrap huffed as a tear rolled down his cheek. He glanced down at the hare’s clawed hand for a long moment before turning away completely and grabbing onto the door handle. He hurriedly wiped his eyes on the back of his arm and headed outside without looking back, leaving the _empty _bathroom without another word.


	8. Sweeter Than Shakes

The noise seemed to be getting louder, Spring thought as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

He knew these noises; they were familiar to him. He knew that these voices belonged to his friends, but whatever they were saying, he couldn’t understand. _ Did he want to understand? _Springtrap wasn’t sure what he wanted. His food sat in front of him, half-eaten and cold. The desire to eat had been quenched, yet he felt… empty. It was a lingering hunger, but for what, he wasn’t sure. Nobody took notice of his timid, quiet attitude. There was nothing out of the ordinary at a glance, but Springtrap was petrified. The rabbit responded to questions whenever the sound of his name pulled him out of his haze, but for the most part, he sat; quiet and still.

The time finally came to leave, and Springtrap was ready to get out of the diner and return to the safety of his home, but he was also petrified of what may follow. Did Will overhear their plans to meet here somehow, or did what the hare say actually have some merit to it?

What _ was _Will? The more Springtrap wondered that the more he wished he could put his curiosity to rest. There was no way someone should have been able to appear in that bathroom without him seeing them walk in. Will hadn’t been in the stall when Spring had looked, and there was nowhere else that Will could have been hiding in that dark bathroom.

The hare could seemingly hold his breath forever, and his eyes were otherworldly and petrifying.

Pupils seemed to form at will… and they glowed. Springtrap didn’t know of any contacts that could have possibly given off that effect. 

Last night at the party, Will had snuck up on Springtrap silently. Either the man was incredibly light on his feet, or he was able to materialize out of thin air. With a dejectful huff, Springtrap shook his head, and his thoughts, away. People were standing to leave, and if he didn’t follow, he’d be left behind. Gold wouldn’t actually leave him, he knew. That man would wait on him for as long as Spring needed. The thought made the rabbit’s heart flutter, and he turned to look at Gold, who was about to stand and follow Bonnie and Freddy out the door. Springtrap wasn’t sure if they were going over to anyone’s house; he had been far too spaced out to catch any details, but he knew that he didn’t want to leave just yet. His hands found their way to Gold’s jacket, and he held on with a gentle, pleading expression. Gold’s smile momentarily fell. He was clearly confused and afraid that something wasn’t alright. Bonnie gave a glance back at the two, wiggled his nose and nodded to Gold. This wasn’t the first time that Springtrap and Gold had stayed behind, so there was no explanation needed. Half of the time it was due to Spring being upset or nauseous, but being surrounded by the entire group was the last thing Bonnie assumed Springtrap needed. Spring needed space, and he already had Gold with him to soothe and comfort him. Gold flashed Bonnie an appreciative look, then turned his full attention back to Springtrap.

“What is it, bud?” Gold asked in a soft, low voice. He wasn’t sure what had upset Springtrap, but he was going to be there for him, no matter how small the problem. Springtrap sucked in a small breath and stared at Gold’s mouth for just a moment too long. Either Gold didn’t notice or didn’t care, and for that, Springtrap was thankful. 

“We…. we should get milkshakes.” he finally managed in a quiet mumble. Out of reflex, Springtrap nearly flinched, half expecting to be told off and scolded for mumbling and slurring his words. Gold had never once chewed him out for muttering, though. No one in the group had, and that was why Springtrap found himself comfortable and happy in their presence. They didn’t judge him, and they actually cared about his feelings. There were no insults thrown his way from any of their mouths, and never once had they shown anger directed at him.

“Milkshakes?” Gold asked as his ears perked up. His smile quickly returned, clearly relieved that all was well, and he gave Springtrap a quick nod in response. 

“Milkshakes sound good.” He beamed. 

When the waitress came to clear the dirty dishes from the line of tables, Gold grabbed her attention and ordered both of their milkshakes. Chocolate for Springtrap, and a banana for himself. The line of tables were pulled apart and returned to their normal positions, leaving Gold and Spring sitting side by side at a singular table. Gold would have moved to the other side so that he could face Springtrap, but the rabbit’s gentle hold on his arm kept him grounded.

Spring obviously wanted to be right next to Gold, and the bear wasn’t complaining. 

The two sat in relative silence for what seemed like an eternity. Springtrap’s hands had slowly but surely made their way down to Gold’s, and as he grabbed onto the bigger man’s paws, his lingering nausea began to fade. Spring’s heartbeat began to return to normal, though the fear still lingered from his unpleasant bathroom trip. He hadn’t told anyone at the table about encountering Will, and he didn’t intend to. It was just him and Gold now, anyway. Will wasn’t here, looming over him and sending shivers down his spine. The group was gone, either heading home or to someone’s house to stay out just a little later, but none of that mattered. It was just Gold and him, just like he had wanted. Springtrap didn’t want this night to end, but he knew it would; probably much quicker than he would have liked.

Gold knew that Spring had something to say, so he remained quiet and patient as he waited for him to muster up enough courage to speak

“I…” Springtrap fell quiet again, and his hold on Gold’s paw tightened just a little. Spring’s free hand was resting on his own lap, and he gripped at his pants nervously as he tried to find his courage. His confidence had faded away yet again, leaving him with anxiety and butterflies.

“I like spending time with you,” Spring muttered softly. Gold’s ears perked up in interest, but he didn’t speak. There was clearly more that Springtrap had to say by the look on his face, and he didn’t want to interrupt him and keep him from saying what he wanted to say.

Springtrap took a second to continue, but he did eventually speak up again.

“I think I…. I think I like you more than I should.”

Gold’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and his heart sunk as his chest fluttered.

Springtrap shrunk in on himself just a little, both unsure of himself and fearful of Gold’s reaction. The bear’s face was hard to read, and Springtrap wasn’t sure if he should continue, but he did anyway. His arms were trembling a little, and it was a miracle that he had been able to keep his nausea at bay, but he didn’t cave. He had more to say, and he was going to say it.

“I… I know I’ve never said it before now, and I’m sorry.”

Gold remained silent, taking in what he’d just been told. Springtrap, miraculously, had somehow managed to hold eye contact with him this entire time. He was trembling from anxiety and fear, and when Gold opened his mouth to speak, it only scared him more. He was preparing for rejection; he was bracing himself for disgust.

The sound of two glass cups being placed on the table made Springtrap perk his ears up, but he didn’t break eye contact with the bear in front of him. The waitress said nothing and left the shakes on the table, not uttering a word to the two. Gold seemed to be at a loss of words for once, and the silence was maddening. Springtrap sucked in a small breath and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Gold’s. The bear froze up, unsure of how to react to the sudden public display of affection. Gold pulled his hand from Springtrap’s grip, and it made the rabbit’s heart sink. Before tears could well up in his eyes, however, Gold leaned forward and pulled him into a tight hug; nearly falling out of his chair in order to do so. Springtrap’s heartbeat only quickened when he was pulled against Gold’s chest in a tight embrace. The beating of the bear’s heart was a soothing feeling, and the rabbit’s hands found their way onto Gold’s back as he buried his face in the man’s shoulder. He wanted to cry, but not from fear or anxiety. Springtrap felt an overwhelming sense of love and security, and he couldn’t hold back the tears gathering in his eyes. It was late, and the diner was nearly empty now. Nobody was staring at them… Nobody was judging them. Springtrap sucked in a shaky breath as Gold muttered back a small, sincere,

“I like you too.”

* * *

Springtrap held tight to Gold’s paw as they walked together, hand in hand with huge, dopey smiles plastered to their faces. Even though the group had left to gather elsewhere for games and movies, all Springtrap and Gold wanted was to spend time with each other. Chica wasn’t here to excitedly squeal and chew their ears off. Bonnie wasn’t here to shoot them playful little looks. It was just them, and for once, they weren’t burying their feelings. The parking lot was barren apart from a few uninteresting vehicles, one of them being Gold’s. It didn’t take long to reach the car, but when it finally came time to let go of each other, there was hesitation. The calm of the night was reassuring, though, so with a good conscience, Springtrap allowed Gold’s fingers to slip away from his. They clambered into the car, still shivering from the cold outside and the rushed consumption of their milkshakes. The heat was flipped on without hesitation, and Gold shivered as the vents began blowing cold air out. It would take a moment for the car to heat up, but in the meantime, Gold reached over with an open hand; inviting Springtrap to return his smaller hand into his own. Springtrap didn’t need to be coaxed, and instantly placed his hand where it belonged on top of Gold’s. The bear looked over at Spring with a soft smile.

It had been years since they met, and Gold had often wondered if anything would ever become of their little crushes. He was glad that something _ had _ blossomed from their youthful affections; the wait was well worth it. Gold had never expected Springtrap to make the first move, though.

That was a surprise, but a pleasant one. Springtrap looked tired but happy in the passenger seat, staring over at Gold with a sleepy grin. They sat there for a minute, just smiling and holding hands. It was quiet and still in the parking lot, and the moment felt like it would last forever. It eventually had to come to an end, though, but when it did, Springtrap wasn’t upset.

He knew that there was so much more to come. 

* * *

The passenger window had been rolled down to allow a nice, cool breeze to flow into the car.

Springtrap was leaning out the window, letting his ears blow in the wind. His left arm was outstretched, and he was holding onto Gold’s arm loosely. They arrived back at Springtrap’s apartment much too soon, and Springtrap’s mood soured ever so slightly as they pulled into the parking lot. The rabbit turned to face Gold with a somewhat sad expression. It was evident by the look on his face that he didn’t want to go just yet, and Gold shared his hesitance to call it a night. There was nowhere they could go. It was late, and showing up this late at whoever’s house the others had gathered at would only raise questions. Why had they taken so long to get there? Even though nothing had truly happened between the two, Springtrap didn’t want to hear the teasing and playful accusations. The group wouldn’t mean it in a hostile way, but the teasing would be embarrassing; it was something he didn’t want to deal with. 

“Do you want to go for a walk?” Springtrap asked with a hopeful wiggle of his nose.

Gold blinked, not expecting to be offered more time with Spring, but he nodded almost instantly. The night could have been warmer, but he had Springtrap to keep him warm, and that was enough for him. “Of course…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter! Expect a long next chapter :'3


	9. A Runt's Reward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, children-  
Grab some snacks. This is a lengthy chapter.

The sidewalk glistened under the artificial glow of the street lights, and the sound of cars driving on the nearby roads wasn’t all too pleasant, but Springtrap found Gold’s company more than enough to make the mood light and the walk seem scenic. The smell of the city was ever-present and foul, but the scent of Gold’s cologne was just a little stronger. They walked hand in hand, their spirits high as the sounds of traffic drowned out the chirping of crickets and the faint, distant call of nighttime birds. Hardly any other people were out, due to both the time and the cold weather. It sort of felt like a cool spring night, if not a little harsher. Springtrap didn’t really notice the cold; he was practically pressed against Gold as they walked, leaving the apartment far behind. They were walking around the block once, and then they would part for the night after arriving back at the apartments. Spingtrap briefly wondered if he would be able to coax Gold into staying the night. Springtrap was growing weary of movies, but if the promise of watching them all night convinced Gold to stay, he would suffer through it.

Watching movies was relaxing most of the time, but with how many hours he had spent watching them lately, sitting around and doing nothing was making him feel a little guilty. He didn’t feel productive, but it wasn’t like there was much else to do anyway. He could finally get around to cleaning his room, but that didn’t sound too inviting or fun. Snuggling up against Gold sounded much more appealing if he were being honest.

The stars were few and far between; barely visible through the city’s glow. The apartment was definitely a huge shift from Gold’s scenic little home, but this was what Springtrap had grown used to. Cramped apartment buildings with neighbors who were much too loud, the air that reeked of chemicals and gas, a sky that revealed very few stars… It wore on him, but this was his home for the time being. For how much longer, he wasn’t sure. The lingering threat of losing the apartment tormented him, but for tonight he swallowed down his own personal problems to indulge in hand-holding and the company of someone he trusted.

“Today went by way too fast…” Gold murmured from beside Springtrap, who gave a half nod.

Things had been so weird since the party, but time wasn’t standing still for Springtrap to process it all. Everything was going by so fast, and Spring was beginning to wonder if anything would ever really feel normal again. Even though things had certainly been pleasant, it was different, and it would take some getting used to.

“So we’re… a thing, right?” Gold asked with a seeking glance over at Springtrap. 

The rabbit smiled, showing off his teeth before giving another little nod. He didn’t look at Gold, instead gazing down at his own shoes as they continued to slowly walk down the sidewalk. Hearing that made his chest flutter and stomach twist, but in a pleasant, wholesome way.

“Yeah…” Springtrap whispered as he looked up at the bear. “I’d say that.”

Gold’s expression softened and he lowered his ears with a pleased little hum.

Springtrap’s smile suddenly fell, and he winced. “It feels wrong… doesn’t it?” He whispered.

Gold looked over at the smaller man with a puzzled expression. Gold knew where this feeling was coming from; it was a deep-rooted fear instilled by Spring’s father. 

Relationships were a waste of time, preached Springtrap’s mother. They would lead to regret, heartbreak, and unwanted kits who anchored their parents into unhappy, unhealthy relationships. Yet his father went on about how Springtrap needed to find a woman one day, settle down and have kids of his own. Spring was a sheltered kid, but the murmurs and loud complaints about the ‘queer couple’ down the street intrigued the little bunny. Whatever a ‘queer’ was, they were clearly horrible, evil people. Spring’s father despised them, whatever they were. His father was a cold, bitter man. 

Springtrap had always eaten up the scraps of affection that were given to him once in a blue moon as a child. As he got older, the little affection he was given from his father stopped completely. A few weeks into third grade, Springtrap had grown very fond of a classmate. The rabbit in question had beautiful cream-colored fur, big, blue eyes, and a chipped front tooth that pulled Springtrap in. Curiosity drove him to befriend the other rabbit in hopes of finding out the story behind the damaged tooth, but a real friendship quickly blossomed. Spring had never been a social butterfly, so when his mother found out that he had made a friend, she was overjoyed. His father hadn’t paid his son’s new friend any mind initially, but as the two began to grow closer and all his son spoke about was the other rabbit, concerns began arising. In reality, it was nothing more than two children being friends, but to Springtrap’s father, it was a dangerous relationship. Springtrap had no idea why he was suddenly pulled from school one afternoon by his father, but he hadn’t expected that day to be the last one he ever saw his friend. The memory was fuzzy, but he could still feel his father’s tight grip around his wrist as he drug him out to the car; angry but silent. The boy knew that once they were inside of the car, his father would explode and scold him for whatever he had done wrong. Springtrap still recalled curling up in the backseat with teary eyes, listening as his father screamed and insulted him. There had been nothing about Springtrap’s relationship with that boy that should have given his father any reason to suspect that it was anything  _ more  _ than a friendship. 

Springtrap had been a mess; he was nothing more than a confused, frightened child.

“I’m not going to raise a fairy, Bonnie.” His father had growled out in a low voice that promised a beating when they got home. “Don’t make me repeat this.”

“It’s not wrong.” Gold whispered softly as they continued to walk down the street, holding onto each other just a little tighter. Springtrap was silent for a moment, but he nodded.

“I know.” He finally replied. Despite knowing there was nothing wrong about this, it still felt as if it was. It had been forced into his head from such a young age that anything like this was terrible and unforgivable, and even though he didn’t believe it, it was still programmed into him to shy away and hide his ‘sinful’ desires. Was it sinful to want to hold someone’s hand and snuggle in the soft glow of a sunrise? Springtrap couldn’t say, but it was what he wanted. He wanted Gold. There was no reason he should refrain from being happy; his father wasn’t in his life anymore, so why was he still so hesitant?

“You know they don’t care… right?” Gold asked softly. “Foxy… Bonnie… Freddy-”

Springtrap nodded and cut the bear off. “I know, I know they don’t mind, but it’s just. It feels so weird. I feel… Even holding hands feels so…”

Gold merely smiled and chuckled softly. “Well, I like it.”

Springtrap returned his smile, relaxing ever so slightly at the wonderful sight of the bear’s beam. “I like it too,” Spring assured him. They were nearly back to the apartments now, and it made Springtrap slow his pace just a little to make their walk last just a bit longer.

Gold slowed his pace as well, but whether he realized they had slowed down or not, Springtrap didn’t know. Spring perked his ears up suddenly, catching Gold’s attention in the process.

One glance over his shoulder confirmed his fears. Someone was trailing them.

“ _ Freddy _ ...” Spring hissed out in a panicked voice as he turned away from their shadow.

Gold gave one quick glance back and understood immediately. His heart sank, and he realized that there wasn’t much traffic at this hour.  _ Fewer witnesses.  _

The sound of footsteps were getting faster, and Gold realized with a nauseous shiver that this person definitely meant harm. It was too dark to see what they looked like, but he didn’t want to find out. “ _ Let’s cross the road. _ ” Gold hissed out urgently, looking down at Springtrap. The little rabbit’s heart was thumping wildly in his chest, and his pupils were the size of pinpricks. He barely caught what Gold had said, and was pulled along as they changed direction and began heading for the other side of the street. Springtrap couldn’t think clearly, he just knew that he was in danger, and he was freezing up. He allowed Gold to lead the way across the desolate road, and his grip on the bear’s paw became almost painful as he dug his claws into Gold’s fur.

Gold didn’t comment; either it wasn’t hurting him, or he was more concerned about the harm that their stalker planned to inflict. There was a fast-food restaurant nearby, it was only a few minutes away. It would be safe there… It was open 24/7, so they would be able to slip inside and anchor down for as long as they needed. One last glance over his shoulder told Gold all he needed to know; the man was definitely following them, and it became apparent that he had a friend. Gripping onto Springtrap’s hand tighter, Gold started walking a little faster. He didn’t want to run and have their  _ ‘friends’  _ chase them down, but everything inside of him was screaming to run or stand his ground and fight. He tried to avoid physical altercations when he could, though, and with Springtrap being involved, he didn’t want to risk the rabbit getting hurt. 

“ _ Spring _ ,” He whispered out in a hushed but panicked voice. 

Springtrap only dug his claws into Gold’s hand a little tighter. He couldn’t think; he wanted to pull away and run on his own, but he also wanted to cling to Gold and seek out his protection. His mind was foggy, but there was a nagging voice that was screaming through the fog. _ ‘Run.’ _

It repeated. It was instinct, and Springtrap knew that. He wasn’t going to give in, though. He had a better chance clinging to Gold than running off on his own. As the fog began to lift and his head cleared, Springtrap glanced across the road at the apartments. Why weren’t they going there? He had no idea where Gold was leading him, but it was too late to bolt for home now.

“Freddy.” Springtrap hissed out in a shaky voice.

“We’re fine.” Gold assured him, even though he wasn’t sure if it was a lie himself.

“We’re gonna be okay, just keep walking.”

The sound of approaching footsteps seemed to multiply, and another glance over his shoulder told Gold that the creeping duo had become a trio. There was no doubt in his mind that these people meant harm, but whether they were looking for money or blood was unclear. 

It wasn’t too much farther from the restaurant; it was in sight, but they had to cross a vacant parking lot to reach it. They could do it, though. Gold was confident of that.

“Hey!” A voice boomed from behind them. It was male, but Gold knew better than to buy into the friendly tone the stranger was using. He ignored the call and continued walking towards the restaurant. Spring looked back at the source of the voice out of reflex, and that’s when he noticed a bat in one of their hands. His heart lurched up into his throat, and he shook his head in a panic.

“ _ Bat- _ ” he choked out. Gold picked up the pace, dragging Spring along as they practically broke into a sprint. The footsteps behind them got faster, and a new face emerged directly in front of them. The dog grinned as he stepped around the corner of a building, holding a crowbar firmly in his hand. The restaurant was  _ right  _ there, but Gold halted in his tracks upon seeing the dog. There was no way Gold was approaching him, but he had to make a decision on where to go and fast. The building that the dog had slipped around from was an old abandoned Chinese restaurant; there was no hope of ducking inside to friendlier faces. It was vacant and decaying, leaving Gold with no other option than to pull Spring down the alleyway against the abandoned restaurant. If they could get to the other side, they could continue forward to the open restaurant and get to safety.

“Freddy!” Springtrap squeaked out as the bear began to bolt down the alleyway, leaving their unfriendly followers behind. The alley was dark, but it was their only hope of slipping away unharmed. If they were quick, they would still have a chance. 

There was a sudden squeak, yank, and thud that made Gold freeze and spin around to face the horrific sight at his feet. Springtrap was trembling on the ground; his eyes were blown wide in fear, and above him loomed a feline. Her teeth glistened in the dim light, and her claws were extended in preparation for something terrible.

“Hello, doll.” She purred out with a devious flick of her thin, scraggly tail.

Springtrap trembled under her boot, clutching fruitlessly at the ground in fear.

Gold bared his fangs at the woman and took a step forward despite her extended claws; he wasn’t letting anyone hurt Springtrap. “Get off him.” He growled in a low voice that Springtrap had never heard him use before. It sent shivers down the rabbit’s spine, and he squirmed under the cat in a desperate attempt to free himself. Gold glanced up at the end of the alley they had slipped in from. Two of the others were approaching at a leisurely pace, and the faint sound of shuffling behind him let him know the location of their final friend. Gold looked back at the dog and the crowbar still in his hand. There was no way out of this without a physical altercation.

“We don’t have any money.” Gold growled as he turned back to glare at the cat.

She let out a soft chuckle and leaned forward, putting more weight onto Springtrap and pushing the heel of her boot into his back. The rabbit let out a pained squeak and squirmed, wiggling and kicking his legs to try and shake the woman off.

“No money? That’s too bad, fag.” She purred out. Gold narrowed his eyes and watched in silence as the two other creeps finally reached their pretty little gal friend.

They were human, and for that, Gold was thankful. They had no claws or fangs to attack him with, but the bat that one of them carried was making him nervous.

“Let us go,” Gold tried to reason with them. “We have nothing you want.”

The cat chuckled softly and shook her head, followed by three disappointed ‘tsk’s.

“We’re gonna need something from you. You assholes had the nerve to run.” She snarled

Springtrap looked to Gold with fear in his eyes.

“What could you possibly want?” The bear growled out. 

“I don’t like your tone, mister…” The cat scoffed as she narrowed her eyes. “You’re quite the little pissy bitch, aren’t you?” Gold took the insult in silence. There was no point in arguing with the woman. She had Springtrap in her grasp, and he wasn’t going to defend his pride at the price of Springtrap’s safety. “Think we should teach 'em a lesson?” The dog growled out with a wide grin. Gold looked back at him, catching sight of the battered-looking Doberman. The shredded ears and multiple scars littered across his face was a telltale sign of the life this mutt led. He was an asshole; he was a troublemaker, and he had survived his fair share of scrapes.

Gold was strong, but against four strangers, three of which had weapons- was a battle that was already lost. The cat purred softly and looked down at Springtrap who had tired himself out.

“Think we should shred the runt’s face up for wasting our time?” She purred out, sounding rather delighted at the prospect of inflicting some wounds on the small man.

Springtrap’s heart sank as sharp claws prodded at his ear. 

“Maybe shred his ears up while we’re at it.” The cat continued.

“Take your coat off, queer.” The dog snapped suddenly as he poked his crowbar into Gold’s back. The man stiffened at the uncomfortable press against his back, and he complied wordlessly. His leather coat was dropped onto the filthy ground, and the dog snatched it up without hesitation. Gold shivered from the cold, but the temperature wasn’t his biggest concern at the moment. “There. Now you’ve got something from us. Let us go.”

“ _ I _ got somethin’ from you.” The dog corrected in an amused tone. “My friends here aren’t gonna leave empty-handed.” The Doberman snickered with a nod towards the other low life sleazebags. One of the humans took a step closer to Springtrap and smacked his bat on the ground, causing the rabbit to try and bolt away in fear. He was back to squirming, and his claws scraped at the rocks under him. “His shoes.” The unarmed human spoke up, pacing closer to Springtrap. “I want the little bastard’s shoes.” Springtrap froze up as the cat dug her heel into his back harder. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, but he didn’t let himself cry despite the pain. Gold opened his mouth to protest but ultimately decided that losing some clothing was better than walking away injured, or not walking away at all. Springtrap remained still while the bigger man behind him yanked his shoes off, exposing his feet to the cold. The thin socks he was wearing did very little to help keep the cold out, and he shivered under the cat.

The woman looked down at Springtrap’s quivering form with a contemplative look. She was clearly in thought, but the silence seemed neverending. “I think I want a foot.” She hummed with a devious grin. “Rabbit feet are good luck… aren’t they?”

Gold stepped closer to the cat, to which the dog behind him let out a sinister growl.

“Slow down there, honey.” The cat hissed as her gaze drifted up to stare at Gold. 

“Unless you want me to take both of his feet.”

“This isn’t funny,” Gold growled from where he stood. “Just take what you want and go.”

“And what if I want his foot, darling?” The cat purred with a sickeningly arrogant smile.

“Can I take that?” She challenged. Springtrap sucked in a deep breath and tried to pull himself out from under her foot. “Freddy-” He croaked out, nearly crying by now.

“Freddy?” The man with the bat parroted. “Is that Teddy’s name?” Another hard swing onto the ground much too close to Springtrap had Gold talking another step towards the cat.

“Stay the fuck back!” The woman screamed as she lifted her foot and stomped her heel into Springtrap’s back. The rabbit let out a pathetic scream and scrambled away, attempting to reach Gold. The cat had other plans for him, though, and grabbed ahold of his ankles, digging her claws in much too deep. Springtrap screamed out as blood began to run down his fur and onto the ground below him. Gold had put up with enough. The man lunged forward, claws and fangs bared in preparation to maul the bitch. The dog seemed to have different plans for him, unfortunately. One good whack to the ribs sent Gold to the ground, and Springtrap let out a mortified squeal. 

“Shut it!” The cat hissed out as her claws sunk deeper into Springtrap’s ankles. Gold trembled on the ground as both of the humans approached, leaving Springtrap to the cat. Spring watched in horror as Gold attempted to stand, but an onslaught of kicks ultimately kept him down, curled into a pathetic ball as he tried to protect his face from the blows. Springtrap yanked away from the woman, taking her by surprise with a sudden burst of courage and strength. He acted on impulse and lunged towards Gold’s attackers with his claws extended. Before he knew what he was doing, he had already left a deep, stinging slice down one of the men’s face. They staggered back, clearly in shock as they clutched at the scratch in disbelief.

“You little fucking bitch!” The human screamed out, covering his wound as his friends turned their attention to Spring. Springtrap froze, realizing what he had done and the consequences that it would result in. What the fuck had he done?

The man he had sliced was unarmed, which meant that the two with weapons were unphased and ready to -

Springtrap’s vision went white as the bat was slammed into the side of his head, sending him to the ground. He had no idea what was going on, but his vision was swimming and his ears were ringing. He heard shouting, growling, hissing… It was all too much. The ground was cold, but his head felt warm. What was this? Was he dying? His vision slowly began to come back, and as the sight of blood on the ground in front of him became apparent, he realized it was his own. His nose burnt, and all he could smell was blood. Had they broken his nose? His entire body hurt, and he vaguely realized that he was being kicked from all directions, just like Gold had been moments before. This was how he was going to die. A nobody; some runt who was beaten to death in an alleyway with nothing to be remembered for. He wasn’t special. He was a runt, he was a disappointment, and he was a mistake. As his vision completely cleared, he could make out the form of Gold, unconscious and curled up several feet away against the alley wall. If they killed him… that was alright… He just hoped that Gold made it out of this intact.

“What do you think, boys?” Springtrap could faintly hear the cat ask. He felt her grab a hold of one of his ears, yanking it up much too hard, and something cold being pressed against it. His throat tightened as he whined.

“Wait-”

His voice went unheard, and a tremendous pain left him squirming and kicking with all his might. It didn’t last long, but when it finally lessened, he wasn’t at all relieved. His senses finally cleared, and he watched in horror as his ear was handed to the dog looming above him. His ear… Tears streamed down his face as he attempted to free himself from the feline’s knee that was pinning him down. “Why don’t we give him a matching scar?” The human he had scratched suggested with a glare down at the bleeding rabbit. Springtrap had managed to slice him right across the eye, and he knew well enough that they’d be copying that mark onto him in a matter of moments. If they were willing to slice off his ear, he wasn’t sure if they had boundaries they refused to cross. It was obvious that cutting his face wasn’t off the table. He kept his eyes shut tight as the cat shifted above him, then pressed her claw in right above his eyebrow. She slowly made a scratch across his eye, ignoring his sobs as she ripped his flesh.

“We should snuff the bear,” The dog growled as the group left Springtrap to bleed and snivel in the alleyway. The cat took her knee off of his back and delivered one last painful kick to his ribs before following the others, relishing in the idea of making a few bucks off of the golden bear’s fur.

Springtrap was too weak to move; he wanted to, but he couldn’t. He was trying to push himself up in a futile attempt of saving Gold, but his body refused to work. He opened his eyes slowly, and even though his vision was blurry from crying, he could still make out two large, clawed, purple feet in front of him. He shook as he looked up into familiar eyes, greeted by a wide grin. The hare slowly bent down, eyeing the bloody rabbit with interest. He slowly extended his paw to Springtrap, silent as a mouse, and there was no hesitation before Springtrap took hold of it.

  
  
  


“How much do you actually think it’s worth?” The cat questioned as she shifted her weight, watching as her friends examined the unconscious bear’s fur. 

“Maybe a couple hundred? If I can skin him without any slips,” The dog grumbled as he ran his fingers across the bear’s bloody face. The cat shook her head with a huff. 

“Just hurry it up. I don’t want to get caught-” before she could finish that sentence, she was being shoved to the ground. The other three looked up from Gold, clearly surprised that the runt still had some kick left in him.

“You fucking asshole-” The cat hissed as she pushed herself to her knees. She stared at the rabbit, and into his dark black eyes. His white pupils practically glowed in the dim light of the alley, and he wore a long, demented smile on his face. He held himself in an odd way, almost as if he wasn’t quite used to his own body… or maybe that was due to the injuries they had inflicted on him. She didn’t need to give her friends any permission to attack; the dog was already lunging at Springtrap, swinging the crowbar in his hand as hard as he possibly could with the intent of cracking his skull. Springtrap ducked, resulting in the crowbar sinking into the brick wall behind him. One quick leg sweep sent the Doberman to the ground, and Springtrap kicked the dog’s throat as hard as he possibly could. The dog let out a horrible pained yelp.

The rabbit turned and stared at the cat as she stood, noticing the fury in her eyes as she glared daggers at him. It was obvious that she was looking for the best route of attack, but before she could make a move, the man with a bat did. He, too, swung at Springtrap, and just like before, the rabbit ducked and dodged the blow. With a hard kick to the human’s legs, Springtrap successfully made him lose his balance, and ultimately, his bat. The rabbit lunged for the aluminum bat as it clattered onto the ground, and he scurried away from his attackers, still grinning as he panted for air. His white pupils scanned over them, taking in their physical states as he continued to take steps away, putting a good amount of distance between them. 

“Is he on somethin’?” The scratched man muttered as he grabbed the crowbar from the ground. The dog glanced up at him as he took the weapon but didn’t protest; he was still painfully clutching his throat on the ground. “Why don’t you give up, bunny boy?” The cat lady snarled as she stood to her feet and approached him. Her claws were still extended; bloody and ready to slice into his flesh again. In one of her hands was a knife; Springtrap realized that was probably what they had used to cut his ear off. Blood was still smeared across the blade, and one twitchy shake of his head made the feline hesitant to lunge. Whether this rabbit was having a late boost of adrenaline or he was on some kind of drugs, she wasn’t sure, but he was much faster and observant before. His eyes frantically scanned across all of them as if carefully analyzing the situation. The change of his eyes was unsettling, to say the least, but they had a fight to finish. The rabbit wasn’t crying anymore. He didn’t look scared whatsoever, and the grin he wore was offputting. He no longer looked like a puny little piece of prey; he looked predatory and held himself as if he had strength inside that they couldn’t see.

It was one against four, though. The cat had no doubt in her mind that they would kill this bastard, drugs or not. 

“Aren’t you gonna say anything?” She hissed out. Springtrap blinked and his eyes drifted over to her. He didn’t say a word, though. His facial expression didn’t even change. He was still grinning, and his chest was rising and falling as he caught his breath. Blood coated the entire right side of his face, running out of the nasty cut across his right eye, and the tattered, jagged mess of what remained of his right ear. Despite the blood running down his face, his eyes were wide open. He was unphased by the feeling of it still running down his eyelids. His focus was solely on his prey.

The man he had already managed to scratch walked past the cat, clutching onto the crowbar he had borrowed from his canine companion. “What the fuck is wrong with you, freak?” The man huffed as he walked past the feline. Springtrap clutched onto his bat tighter, still grinning as his eyes locked onto the approaching threat. He stood still, letting the human close the distance between them. His eyes were locked onto the crowbar rather than the man’s face, and as soon as it became evident that the human was about to swing, he swung first. Springtrap managed to land a hard blow to the side of the man’s head, sending the bastard and the crowbar to the ground. His eyes darted up to check the locations of the other three, and upon seeing that they were still a good distance away, he reared the bat up with an even wider grin before slamming it back down into the man’s face. The force of it was frightening, and two quick additional blows followed before he scurried back as the cat rushed forward. They were all screaming, everyone but him, anyway.  _ Annoying little blood bags. _

The cat was, unfortunately, a little quicker than he had anticipated, and she successfully pinned Springtrap against the wall. The rabbit’s grin faltered for only a moment, but it returned, albeit softer. His eyes lidded, and he cocked his head to the side as the woman pinned him against the wall by his shoulders.

“You’re quite strong.” The rabbit purred out in a soft voice. It was roughly the same, yet something was off about it. It wasn’t quite exact; there was a new layer to it, almost as if the voice was polluted. The cat stared into his eyes, attempting to hide her fear as she stared into that horrid, unnatural black. The rabbit could see the fear in her big green eyes, and that only made him grin wider. It was only a natural reaction he supposed, but he had been a little surprised by her strength. She was brave, or she was stupid, but the answer didn’t matter to him. He glanced over at the man he had just beat with the bat. The dog and other human were bent over him, but the damage had been done.

“Ey! We need to get him to a fuckin’ hospital,” The dog hissed out in a panicked voice. The cat lessened her force on the rabbit just a bit, and that was her mistake. She was overtaken by Springtrap, and he pushed her across the alley, pinning her to the opposite wall. Before she could sink her claws into him, he opened his jaw as wide as it could possibly go, and bit down into her. The cat gasped and struggled against him as his sharp teeth sunk into her throat, causing blood to pour out onto both her and himself. The taste was bitter but sweet. The woman’s claws sunk into his shoulders as she tried to get him away, but shock overtook her and her hands moved away to try and hold at her throat. Springtrap yanked his head to the side, ripping a sizable chunk of fur and flesh out of her neck. He promptly spat it out, then lunged forward to sink his teeth back in, grabbing at the front of her throat instead of the side. He bit, yanked, and spat once again. The other two were charging him now, and Springtrap dropped the woman, letting her fall to the ground to pointlessly clutch at her torn windpipe.

The dog was quicker than the human, and as a result, he managed to sink his fangs into Springtrap’s arm that he raised up to shield his face. The Doberman clutched at the rabbit’s shoulders, attempting to throw him to the ground. The dog’s fangs were sharp and stung, but a bite on the arm was better than one to the throat. There were a series of animalistic growls that filled the alleyway, both from Springtrap and the canine as they wrestled for control. The mutt was looking for an opening, Springtrap knew, but he wasn’t going to give him one. The uninjured human was keeping a reasonable distance; waiting for the dog to get a better hold on the rabbit. When the dog succeeded in finally shoving Springtrap to the ground, the rabbit lifted his legs to push at his stomach. Realization dawned on the rabbit, and he grinned wildly as his long, sharp back claws extended, managing to tear through his thin socks that were now covered in mud.

The Doberman let out a pained whine as Springtrap began kicking wildly at his stomach, ripping through his shirt and tearing flesh. The dog’s grip on his arm slacked, and with one hard kick, he launched the mutt away. Springtrap quickly pulled himself to his feet and gave one quick lick to the bite mark on his arm. The dog was already scrambling back to his feet, visibly pissed off. Springtrap’s blood was dripping out of the dog’s maw, but the sight didn’t frighten him. He felt excited; he was hyper, and the pain rushing through his body seemed distant, as if simply continuing the fight would keep it at bay forever. There were no consequences for this. There was no right, and there was no wrong. The weak would live, and the strong would die. 

Springtrap wiggled his fingers as he gripped onto the bat just a little tighter.

Good thing he was a weak, pathetic little runt. 

The dog bolted forward only to be met with a hard smack to the jaw from the bat. He whined and grabbed at his shattered jaw. Springtrap smirked wide as he let out a huff. The dog lifted his hands up to try and shield his face as the rabbit swung at him, but it didn’t work for long. Springrtrap continued to beat the dog, breaking both of his hands and eventually managing to get several blows in on his face. He continued to smash the bat into the Doberman’s skull, far past the hope of identifying the corpse at his feet. Blood was splattering everywhere, and a beautiful crimson pooled around the body. As he sucked in deep breaths, Springtrap looked up at the only remaining thug. The human looked scared, and rightfully so. The cat had stilled against the wall; her eyes were wide open, and her jaw hung agape in a permanent look of horror. The other human had stopped moving as well, and even though their face hadn’t been bashed in nearly as much as the dog, it had still been enough to crush their skull. If they weren’t dead, they were well on their way and already unconscious. There was one last witness; one last horrible, hideous stain left to scrub from the alleyway. Dealing with this stain would leave literal stains, though. Whoever was left with this crime scene would have one hell of a therapy visit. The alley reeked of blood, fear, and bile. It was a welcome change from the normal pollution that the city had to offer. Springtrap nodded to the crowbar in the man’s hand, ignoring the way that the pathetic human trembled.

“Drop yours, and I’ll drop mine. Would that make you feel better? A fair fight?”

The human swallowed thickly and gripped to his crowbar tighter, shaking his head no.

“No?” Spring mocked in a playful hum. “You want your face smashed in too?”

Another shake of the man’s head let Springtrap know that no, he didn’t want his skull shattered.

They weren’t running, though. Whether it was bravery or some desire to avenge his friends, Springtrap didn’t care. The man in front of him repeatedly opened and closed his mouth as if trying to find his voice but ultimately failing every single time.

“Make a choice. Or I’ll make it for you.” Springtrap finally hissed out, losing both his patience and his grin. The man before him sucked in a deep breath and took a step forward, not relinquishing his weapon. That made Springtrap’s smile falter a little more, but ultimately, the idea of bashing in another person’s face wasn’t that disappointing. He had wanted to use his claws and teeth again, but blood was blood, he supposed. The choice had been made, and the crowbar wielding asshole’s fate had been sealed. Springtrap was the first to charge, and the human swung his crowbar at the rabbit. The bat and bar clashed, and the sound made Springtrap wince. His ears flattened in discomfort, and he gritted his teeth as the crowbar slid off the side of the bat, making another terrible screech. The crowbar was heavy, and the bat was lighter. Springtrap had the upper hand, and he raised his bat up quicker than the man could raise his crowbar. The next noise that echoed through the alley was a little more pleasant than metallic screeches, and as the bat smacked down onto the top of the man’s head, Springtrap relaxed.

The fourth and final lowlife fell to the alley floor, dazed, bleeding from the mouth, and disarmed. Springtrap dropped his own weapon, letting the bat clang onto the cold, bloody ground.

The injured man choked and squirmed feebly under Springtrap, and the rabbit bent down to sit on the man’s chest. Springtrap tapped his claws on his prey’s chest, staring down into their eyes with morbid curiosity.

“How does it feel?” Springtrap hissed out as his grin returned. The man beneath him choked and gasped, and the sight made the rabbit’s tail wiggle in excitement.

There was no verbal response, but the rabbit knew well enough that speaking was probably out of the question for this poor, injured fellow. 

“Your body was built to fight,” The rabbit continued as his claws began digging uncomfortably into the man’s chest. It wasn’t enough to draw blood, but it most definitely caused pain.

The human was fit, and although he wasn’t nearly as big as the other one had been, he still had some muscle to his chest and arms. 

“You were built to survive… right? And I’m just prey?” The rabbit’s claws sunk in further, penetrating flesh and drawing warm blood.

“So why is it that the prey you sought out was able to win?” 

Springtrap sat on the man, letting the silence answer for his friend.

“I want to see. I want to see.” The rabbit hissed out excitedly as his smirk widened. His mouth opened, baring his bloody, buck-toothed weapons. Springtrap shuffled off of the man’s chest to sit instead on his own knees beside the human. His tail was still flicking back and forth, a telltale sign of his excitement. “I want to see what you really look like! What’s inside? What does a strong man look like under his muscle? Under his confidence?”

The man’s shirt was pulled up, exposing pale, bare skin.

He wasted no time before retracting his claws from the man’s chest in favor of plunging them into the soft flesh of his stomach. Springtrap let out a pleased sigh as little pools of blood began to gather in the dips where the rabbit’s fingers were pressing into his stomach.

“What do you look like, John Doe?” Springtrap purred as his claws sunk deeper. There was no regret on his face, just pure curiosity, and his pretty little smile.

The man was making noises, but Springtrap had no interest in them. He needed to see what was inside. He began to slice down, easily pulling the flesh apart to make way for his curious little fingers. The human was struggling, but Springtrap was putting enough weight on him to keep him pinned down. Squelches, gurgles, and gasps quietly escaped into the dim alleyway, and Springtrap’s prize was finally coming into sight. Soft, wet guts greeted him behind the flesh he’d pulled away, and his fingers gently traced along their bloody surface. With gentle precision, Spring slid his fingers around the exposed intestines. He lifted them out of the man who had mostly fallen still, examining them with a gentle gaze. His smile was softer now; less menacing and more wonder like. He continued to fondle them for quite a while before finally sinking his claws in, ripping them open as he crushed them in his hands. The texture was odd; it felt almost like some kind of odd rubber, but wet and foul. After rubbing his thumb across the innards to gauge their feel one last time, he gave one final squeeze and let go of them, allowing them to fall back into their owner with a sickening, wet, ‘plop’.

The rabbit glanced around at the mess with a small sigh, then turned his gaze to his blood-covered hands. He wiped them carelessly on his pants, then stood to collect his things. His shoes were retrieved from the ground, Gold’s jacket was slipped over his own shoulders, and he finally looked to the bear himself with a little huff. Dragging him back would be a pain in the ass, but it was certainly doable. His vessel cared about the bloody ball of fur, and he supposed  _ he  _ owed Springtrap that much… With another little grunt, the rabbit began pacing towards the unconscious bear. They needed to clear out of here before cops arrived.  _ Will smiled. _

_ He had gotten away with worse in less time. _

Dragging Gold back to Springtrap’s apartment would be draining, but he was set on doing so. Having this vessel detained by the law wasn’t preferable. Will shivered as he began to take ahold of Gold. He could feel Springtrap lingering; he had watched all of this but allowed it to happen. Whether or not Springtrap approved of his messy habits didn’t matter.

This was  _ his _ body now. Springtrap would have to accept this, even if he didn’t like it.


	10. Down the Drain

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit-” 

“Calm down, for the love of God, shut up for five seconds, will ya?” Will snapped with an irritable growl. Springtrap fell silent and lowered his ear shamefully. Will stood right beside him, towering over him with those horrid, wide eyes. The hare’s grin wasn’t present, and it was obvious that he was concerned now that the thrill from his kills had worn off. _ Their kills. _

Will glanced over to Springtrap who was hovering over Gold.

The safety of the apartment was a little underwhelming. The threats outside had been neutralized, but there was a very real threat that would be rearing its ugly head soon. Springtrap, whether he liked it or not, was a murderer. Will may have been the one in control, but attempting to explain that some kind of otherworldly purple hare had taken control of his body would only earn him a one-way ticket to a mental ward. The bodies would be discovered tonight or sometime tomorrow, and Springtrap was already panicking. He felt selfish worrying about his own troubles when Gold was in a bad way. The bear was lying on Springtrap’s couch, unconscious and bloody. Spring was hovering over him, sitting on his knees on the edge of the couch. He had silenced himself to avoid being scolded by Will again, but his heart was still racing frantically in his chest.

“We need to get him to a hospital,” Springtrap muttered for the second time since they had gotten back in the apartment and Will had relinquished control. The hare shook his head and leaned onto the arm of the couch, staring down at the bear.

“You can take him tomorrow, he will be fine for tonight.” The creature assured the man. Springtrap trembled and shook his head, looking absolutely miserable. 

“You’ll both be fine, rabbit,” Will muttered as he turned away from both of the injured men.

“We need to tend to your wounds, or else infection will set in, and don’t care for the smell of it.”

Spring sucked in a shaky breath and stared at Gold’s face. There were some cuts on it, but none were quite as deep as the gash he’d received across the eye. Gold was bigger and stronger, he was built to take the punches, but yet Springtrap was the one who had to drag them out of that alley, bleeding, shaken and nearly broken. Springtrap lowered his ear in shame. He had ended four lives tonight, and even though he hadn’t been in control, the blood was figuratively, and literally, on his own hands. One glance down at his stained fur made him tremble again, and he caught sight of Will staring at him from across the room.

“What… are you?” Springtrap asked in a small voice. Will’s face curled into a half-smile, but it was much softer than any of the hare’s grins Spring had ever seen it be before. It wasn’t creepy, but it still unsettled him. Will took a step towards the hallway, then looked to Springtrap.

“Let’s tend to your wounds.” He hummed.

Springtrap hesitantly slipped off of the couch and gave Gold a small stroke on the cheek before following the hare down the hall to the bathroom. There was a silence in the small apartment, and it was driving him insane. Will vanished into the bathroom, and Springtrap followed with a limp. His entire body ached, and he wanted to curl into bed and sleep the pain away. Will was right, though, and he knew that he needed to tend to his wounds. He still hadn’t seen them, and as he stepped inside of the bathroom, he kept his gaze down at his feet. Springtrap didn’t want to see whatever awaited in his reflection, but mirrors couldn’t be avoided forever. 

Will was sitting on the edge of the bathtub with his long legs outstretched. He stared at Springtrap with a blank expression, showing no pride nor pity. What happened happened, and _ his vessel _ needed to face the mirror and see the consequences of fighting back. It wasn’t fair, but the world wasn’t fair. Springtrap knew that well.

“Before you break down again,” Will began with a small tap of his claws against the side of the tub. Spring looked up at him with tired eyes, but there was a slight fear in them.

“You will be alright. Your hearing will be fine, just a little different.” He assured the rabbit.

Springtrap blinked. He knew that the thing sitting in front of him was attempting to bring comfort, but the entire situation still felt like some weird fever dream.

“We can minimize the scarring if-”

“We. You keep saying we.” Springtrap interrupted as he narrowed his eyes. Will blinked, visibly a little surprised that the rabbit was already talking back to him. There was still some kick left in the little bastard, but Will wasn’t sure if that was an aftereffect of _ his _control.

“Yes. You took my hand.” Will hummed as he raised the offending paw and wiggled his fingers.

“And what … what does that mean for me?” Spring questioned as he hugged at his chest, shivering ever so slightly.

“It means,” Will began as he stood, nearly touching the ceiling. Had he gotten taller? His ears were folded down, preventing them from behind bent uncomfortably. Springtrap shrunk in on himself a little but never broke eye contact with the hare. “-you will take care of your body for me, our vessel, and I will help keep you safe.” Will purred and showed off those alarmingly sharp buck teeth. “By...killing people?” Spring asked with concern. Will leaned in closer, nearly pressing against the little rabbit. Springtrap didn’t shy away this time; he was growing used to Will’s presence.

“This was a wild first night together, I admit, but no. Killing is fun, but I won’t butcher everyone we come across.” 

Springtrap didn’t feel assured. Was it implying that they _ would _ kill _ some _ people? He was far too tired and miserable to prod any longer. Questions could be saved for later, he just wanted to get cleaned up and sleep. With a shaky intake of breath, Spring finally turned to face the mirror. Will was right there, watching him in curious silence. He didn’t attempt to comfort Springtrap; he knew that the rabbit needed a moment to take it all in. 

His face was covered in blood, though it had mostly dried now. The cut across his eye was impossible to miss, but it hadn’t damaged his eyeball whatsoever, so he had that to be thankful for. His ear was...gone, mostly. It had been crudely cut, leaving only half of what it once was. It still ached horribly, but the bleeding had stopped. Springtrap just stood at the counter for a while, staring into it as he took in his new appearance. There was nothing particularly appealing about him before, but now he looked atrocious. His missing ear would cause questions and catch far too many eyes for his liking. He’d never again be able to blend into crowds. Everyone would gawk at his injury for the rest of his life, and the thought was enough to make him nearly cry. There was no hope of reattaching the missing part of his ear. It was probably still in the dark alleyway, and he wasn’t going back there. He had escaped with his life, and he wasn’t going back to that alley to see the carnage he’d unleashed. He doubted that he could stomach seeing the gore again, but the images of it were becoming fuzzy, almost as if it was a fading dream. 

“You are alive,” Will said in a soft tone. Springtrap didn’t budge. He just continued to stare into the mirror, taking in the damage. Will blinked, then leaned down to stare at himself in the mirror, right next to Springtrap. The little rabbit sniffled, then lowered his head and stared down at the dried blood on his hands. He felt horrible for multiple reasons, but his physical appearance was definitely taking a major toll on his mood. Will watched as Springtrap finally began to break down. Tears rolled down his face, and he attempted to stifle his sobs. 

“_ Hey _,” Will called out. Springtrap continued to sob, letting all of his emotions out without a care. The hare didn’t attempt to speak to him again, he simply let the rabbit cry and grip onto the counter. He may have been a monster, but he wasn’t heartless, figuratively speaking, anyway.

The tears eventually stopped, and the rabbit sucked in a trembly, raspy breath. His nose was stuffy and snot was running down his face, but he made no move to wipe it. What was the point? He was alone in here… Or, he wanted to be, anyway. Will lingered nearby, and even though it hadn’t spoken a word while he sobbed, Springtrap still felt like that raw, broken moment had been interrupted by outside eyes. Crying didn’t make him feel better at all, if anything, it just made him dizzy and lightheaded. The snot was eventually wiped onto the back of his arm, and he sucked in a trembling breath. He wasn’t ready to face the world, and he doubted that he’d ever _ truly _feel ready, but he needed to clean himself up and rest. Maybe, if he was lucky, he’d have a brief moment of happiness in the morning before tonight’s events came flooding back.

As soon as he turned to make his way towards the shower, he noticed that the hare had gotten shorter. Will changing his height wasn’t very off-putting at this point, but Springtrap still wasn’t fully comfortable around the… thing. It wasn’t really a hare, he supposed with a shiver. There was another notable difference to Will’s physical appearance. One of his long ears was shredded, leaving barely anything that could still consider it an ear. A long, jagged scar donned his face, and Springtrap realized that Will had copied his own injuries, even if Will’s were a little more horrific than his own. Will blinked slowly, now at eye level with the little rabbit.

“I am sorry for what you’ve lost,” it began in a soft voice. There was no amusement hidden in its tone; Will seemed genuine and sincere.

“Now we’re the same. We’re even.” Will stated. Springtrap didn’t know how to react or respond. For the first time since meeting this thing the other night, he wasn’t completely put off by him. Will wasn’t looming above him or creeping about; he was level with Springtrap. They saw eye to eye… they were ‘even’. Spring repressed the urge to question Will, and instead gave a meek nod. He wasn’t angry at Will, he had saved both Gold and himself, after all. As much as Springtrap hated letting the thought exist, those thugs had actually gotten what was coming to them. They had no respect for others' lives, and they would have killed Gold if Will hadn’t shown up. Whether or not they would have turned around and finished him off too was a mystery he was thankful would never be solved. Will stepped aside without another word, and Springtrap stared ahead at the shower. The curtain was already pulled to the side, but his body was so sore already. Standing was a pain, literally, and he was tempted to curl up on the bathmat and go to sleep. 

Will noticed his hesitance, and wiggled his nose.

“I can leave if you-”

“No!” Springtrap snapped in a panic as he whirled around. His ear perked up and his eyes were the size of saucers; he looked petrified. Will blinked a few times and held his hands up defensively as he nodded. “Alright, kid. Okay.” Springtrap slumped over shamefully and nodded, clearly embarrassed and upset. Will’s expression was a mixture of curiosity and surprise, but Springtrap didn’t really care how the hare was feeling, as long as he stayed in here with him. Springtrap didn’t want to be alone; he couldn’t be alone. Not now.

He was still shaken and mortified. The attempted mugging would have been traumatic enough without a body count of four. _ Four _. The sooner he cleaned himself up, the quicker that blood would rinse down the drain. He would have much rather been ridding his fur of dye than blood. 

Will made himself comfortable on the counter and let the rabbit clamber into the shower. He would have offered to help, but he couldn’t interact with the physical world very well without a vessel. The shower curtain was pulled shut and the soft sound of water filled the small space moments later.

Warm water trickled down Spring’s sore back, washing away everything but his anxiety and shame. His eyes remained closed, and he refused to watch as the water ran down the drain. He couldn’t stand to see the blood. The smell of it alone was much too strong, and it only served to make him feel worse. The only sound was that of the water; Will was silent. Springtrap was both thankful for it, and left feeling as if the silence was choking him. He couldn’t breathe.

With shaky hands, Springtrap lunged forward and turned the water down. It was just the steam, he tried to assure himself. He had just gotten too hot and the steam made it hard to breathe.

The water quickly cooled down, and the sudden change made the rabbit gasp. His claws pressed against the shower wall, making a horrible noise as he scratched the wet surface. He trembled, but not from the temperature of the water. His legs shook, and he slowly found himself sinking down to his knees. What a pathetic little creature he must have looked like…

Nobody was looking at him, though. He was safely hidden behind the curtain, and he was free to sob on the floor as he leaned against the wall. His cries were broken and barely audible, but he knew that Will was definitely able to hear. Springtrap had begged him to stay, but he still felt an immense wave of shame for letting his feelings be heard. Will wasn’t an idiot by any means, and Springtrap was well aware that the hare already knew that he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Where else but the shower to finally give in? The cold water was no longer bothering him, but he couldn’t stand the warmth again. He didn’t want to move; Springtrap wanted to wallow on that shower floor until he fell asleep. ‘Want’ probably wasn’t the right word, but he was far too tired and emotionally unstable to figure out what he really wanted right now.

Water bills were expensive, he quietly reminded himself as he found the will and motivation to stand back up and get this over with. His feet ached horribly, and his legs still felt sore. It was a miracle that he was still able to stand after the beating he had taken. If that had something to do with the creature sitting on his bathroom counter, he couldn’t say. He hadn’t been in control after taking Will’s hand, but he had felt so… powerful. Springtrap was scared to admit that he liked the feeling, even if he would have preferred feeling strong on his own. Of course, just like he’d done all of his life, he had ended up relying on someone else to save him or carry him through tough times. He should be thanking Will for saving him, but all the talk of ‘vessels’ and whatever deal he had indirectly made with the hare was making him uneasy. The lingering question of what in the fuck Will actually was lingered, but he was afraid of the answer. Would it be better not to know? For tonight, at least, Springtrap decided that he’d refrain from asking that question.

“Is your real name Will?” He found himself asking in a meek voice. Springtrap reached for a small bottle of shampoo on the ledge of the shower, inhaling deeply as the artificial scent of mango filled the air.

“It’s… I go by William.” he could hear the hare say from the other side of the curtain. “But you can call me whatever you’d like.” He finished with a slight purr in his voice. Springtrap resumed washing the blood from his fur, and nothing else was said the entire shower.

* * *

It didn’t take long for Spring to clean himself up, disinfect his wounds, and slip on a clean pair of pajamas. His bloody clothes were left on the bathroom floor. That was a problem he’d deal with tomorrow. Will had continued to hold the form of a smaller hare, tattered ear and all.

He was clearly trying to make Springtrap comfortable, but the rabbit still felt immense anxiety in his presence. Where had that calm feeling William had supposedly granted him before gone? 

Springtrap padded out of the bathroom and into the hall, then slipped into the living room as quietly as he could manage. Gold was still asleep on the couch, and if Springtrap didn’t see the beating he took, he would have thought it was a peaceful sleep. William lingered nearby, silently observing as Springtrap scanned over Gold with his eyes. The rabbit was obviously concerned, but rest was what was required for now.

“How are you getting him into the bedroom?” Came the creature’s soft voice. Springtrap blinked and looked over at Will in confusion. “What?”

William looked between the rabbit and bear, then took a step closer, creeping out of the hallway and into the dim yellow glow that the old overhead ceiling light in the living room offered.

“You’re not leaving him on the couch, are you? It doesn’t look mighty comfortable.” 

Springtrap didn’t argue. He had been trying to figure out how he was going to transport Gold to the bedroom himself. Without William’s help, he would only hurt himself and Gold in the process. Springtrap looked to William with seeking eyes, silently asking for help.

The hare’s ear perked up, and he took a step closer to the rabbit. He extended his hand to Springtrap, and the rabbit took hold of it without hesitation.

The sensation was weird and made Spring a little anxious, and it almost felt like he was falling asleep. It only lasted a moment, though, and then it was over. It was odd, watching himself do things he had no control over. It was like watching through a screen, and it was petrifying. William made quick work of dragging Gold off of the couch and onto his shoulder. While his strength wasn’t limitless, he could give Springtrap’s body more power than it ever could have normally sustained. William walked down the hall, holding Gold on his shoulder securely and making sure he didn’t drop him. Once he reached the bedroom door, one small kick with the side of his foot sent the door swinging open, admittedly a little too rough. A few more steps brought him directly to the bed, and William gently laid the bear down on the mess of fluffy blankets that covered the entirety of the mattress. Just like that, Springtrap was back in control, and William was sitting on the opposite end of the bed, watching Gold with a curious gaze.

Springtrap wobbled on his feet a bit, and when his senses cleared, he began crawling up onto the bed. Gold had been laid down on the bed wrong, leaving his feet hanging off ever so slightly. It was good enough, Springtrap supposed as he clambered into bed across from the bear, leaving a good distance between them as he grabbed two pillows. One was slid under Gold’s head oh so carefully, and then he retreated to his end of the bed to lay his down. Having Gold in his room would have normally been nerve wracking, let alone in _ his bed, but _Springtrap was far too tired to react normally to the situation. He just wanted sleep, and he was glad that they were both safe. William slithered off of the bed completely and watched as the rabbit situated himself a good distance away from the bear.

He gave Springtrap a confused look but didn’t comment as Spring turned his back to Gold, staring at the headboard as he too let his feet dangle off the bed. They were quickly pulled to his chest, however, and he pulled a blanket over himself as he shivered. Why the rabbit wasn’t snuggling up to Gold was beyond Will, but he didn’t care enough to question it. He was content with fading away for the time being. His vessel needed rest...


	11. Pleasantly Numb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait QwQ more updates soon...

The room felt like death. It was cold and far too quiet. Despite the warm body right next to him, Spring found himself shivering as he drifted in and out of restless sleep for what seemed like hours. He wasn’t entirely sure how much time had passed in between each awakening, but his eyes refused to stay open despite his inability to stay asleep. He was far too tired and sore to crawl out of bed and get another blanket to huddle under, but the cold was keeping him from getting any decent rest. Springtrap was miserable, and his head felt foggy. He couldn’t think straight. Part of him distantly knew that he needed to get another blanket to stay asleep, but it wasn’t quite clear to him at the same time. 

There was eventually a shuffling beside him, and Spring forced his eyes to stay open as he barely managed to roll over and face the bear beside him. Gold was sitting up, looking groggy and miserable. His fur was dried and matted with blood in spots, and the sight was surreal to see. Springtrap just stared in awe. Everything in front of him felt so fake and distant.

The night before was a blur, and memories of purple fur and bloody concrete made the small rabbit shudder as he pushed himself up to shakily sit. Gold was looking at him with a shaken expression, and Spring was certain that questions were plaguing the man’s mind.

He wasn’t really sure if Gold was trying to find words or just trying to make sense of everything, but he found himself weakly shuffling closer to latch onto the bear’s bigger frame. Spring was quiet as Gold’s arms wrapped around him and held him tight. The two sat in silence for a while, just holding each other and doing their best to ignore the pain that lingered.   


* * *

Spring sat in the car in silence, simply staring out the window as Gold gripped onto the steering wheel. They reeked of the smell of the hospital, but the cracked window was helping Spring stay calm. Aside from their visible wounds, they had suffered minimal injury, some way or another.

Gold walked away with only one broken rib, and considering how badly he’d been beaten, Spring considered that a miracle. He had wondered if his unholy alliance with the hare had anything to do with that, but he hadn’t seen William since passing out the night before. He hadn’t had the chance to ask it, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. He was alive and so was Gold; that was all that mattered. His tattered ear was a sore sight, but he was too run down to worry over it much.

He just wanted to go home and attempt to sleep. It was a cold November, and that promised a bitter December. There was something about this evening that felt colder than usual, but the rabbit couldn’t quite figure out if it was the weather itself or a result of William’s presence. They had slept in late, so by the time they walked out of those hospital doors, the sun had already slipped away. Very few words had been exchanged since they’d clung to each other that afternoon. There was so much that Gold wanted to ask and say, but he was unable to get it out. He hadn’t asked how they’d ended back up at Springtrap’s apartment, but the question  _ would _ be asked sooner or later. It went without saying that Spring was far too small and weak to drag Gold back to the apartment - let alone with an injury on top of it all. 

When they had been asked what had happened, Spring was the one to speak up, much to Gold’s surprise. Spring had explained that they had been jumped and injured by a group of people, and that was where the truth to his story had ended. Gold watched in silence as a sudden boldness overtook Springtrap, and he blatantly lied about  _ where _ they had been jumped, claiming that they’d been attacked on the opposite side of town.

There was something disturbing about how effortlessly he lied. The rabbit didn’t stutter or hesitate whatsoever, and there was an odd look in his eyes as he fed the officer lie after lie. Gold had sat still, watching in confusion and horror as Spring told each lie without a second thought. The bear hadn’t said a word against it, though. If Springtrap was lying, there was a damn good reason to do so. 

What that reason  _ was _ , Gold still wasn’t sure. The silence held so many questions at bay; so many burning curiosities that both of them wanted to quell and quench. Everything that went down in that alley seemed like it had happened so long ago, yet so recently.

Gold wanted to know what had transpired after he fell unconscious, and Spring wanted desperately to forget it. They were alive, and even though Spring had been maimed, he had succeeded in dragging both himself and Gold to safety. The rabbit leaned against the passenger door as they drove back to his apartment, thinking over it all. Everything felt numb; both physically and emotionally. Springtrap should have felt burning regret and terror for how he butchered those people, yet he simply felt tired. Did it all really matter at this point? What was done couldn’t be reversed, so why bother worrying over it? Springtrap clutched at the hoodie he was wearing and shivered. He should have felt horrible anxiety over lying to a cop and the possibility of being found out. He should have been petrified of being caught for the murders he’d committed, yet he felt mostly numb. Whether it was due to stress or a merciful numbing by William, Spring couldn’t tell.

The silence in the car made it feel like a funeral, and even the radio was silent as death.

It all was beginning to make Spring feel twitchy and unpleasant, so he opened his mouth to speak. “What do you remember?” He asked, and as the words came out he regretted asking it, yet he couldn’t stop himself. Gold was quiet for a few moments, and he didn’t answer until Spring turned away from the window to face him. The bear tapped the blunt end of his claws against the steering wheel and sucked in a small breath.

“Everything up until I went out.” He finally managed, much to Spring’s relief and sadness.

The few times that Gold had stirred while being moved around hadn’t offered him any answers as to how Springtrap actually managed to get him back to the apartment. Springtrap shivered a little and gripped his hoodie a little firmer.  _ Gold wouldn’t ever have to know. _   
  
“Are you… wanting me to stay the night?” Gold asked in a soft voice. For once, Spring could hear some hint of fear in it. Was he afraid of Spring saying no, or was he still just shaken up? Spring nodded without hesitation. He didn’t want to be alone. The realization that even with Gold gone he wouldn’t truly be alone gnawed at him and Springtrap found himself wanting to pull his knees to his chest and cry. He didn’t want to be alone with  _ it.  _ Even though he hadn’t seen Will since the night prior, he could  _ feel him.  _ There was a feeling of being watched, and Spring knew it wasn’t just because he was around Gold; this felt different and wrong. The feeling of eyes on his back had him on edge all day, and it had him more jumpy than usual. To most people he knew, seeing him jump and flinch wouldn’t make them think twice, but even he realized that he was flinching more than usual. He had just almost been murdered, though. Nobody would have any reason to suspect that  _ he _ had blood on his hands, but the thought of being found out made him want to vomit up the ‘breakfast’ he’d skipped that afternoon. The worry that was beginning to creep in was already fading, and the only explanation that Springtrap could think of was  _ William. _ The fact that the hare was able to numb and change his emotions was a horrifying thought, but Springtrap didn’t have the strength to worry about that just yet. Food was the only thing on his mind, and as they arrived back at his apartment, they both made a beeline for the door.

* * *

The inside of the apartment was pleasant and warm, yet Springtrap didn’t feel welcome, even though it was his own home. This was far too close to that alley, and he didn’t want to wonder if those corpses had been discovered yet. Were they still there? Had they frozen to the ground where their blood had pooled around them? Springtrap gripped at the door handle of his fridge to try and ground himself in reality.  _ Food. He needed food. _   
Gold was sitting at the kitchen table in relative silence. He was holding onto a small cup of ramen that he had made for himself, but he hadn’t eaten much of it. The warm cup in his hands felt nice, though, so he wasn’t complaining. Springtrap had been standing at the fridge for a few minutes, just staring at the lack of food that sat inside.   
He could order a pizza or ask Gold to drive them somewhere to get food, but both of those required him to actually look Gold in the eyes and speak. He wanted to confess his sins to the man; he wanted to pour his soul out and admit to every wrong he had done, but he knew that he couldn’t. Even if he felt safe doing so, he lacked the courage to even look him in the eyes and ask if they could go get something decent to eat. Springtrap sucked in a deep breath, wiggled his nose, and grabbed a small container of cantaloupe he’d been neglecting. It wouldn’t keep him full for long, but anything that could put his gnawing hunger at bay was good enough for him. The container was cold and holding it made the rabbit shiver as he turned away from the fridge and settled down at the kitchen table, right next to Gold.

The bear flashed him a glance through a mouthful of noodles, and Springtrap flattened his ears as he finally looked into the other man’s eyes for the first time since that morning.

Gold didn’t look disappointed or angry; only concerned. 

It was clear that he wanted to ask Springtrap if everything was okay, but the answer was already clear. Not much had been said about Springtrap’s physical state, but Spring could practically feel the eyes on his tattered ear and cut face. He wasn’t a pleasant sight, and he knew that.

The hospital had given him medication for the pain, but he could still feel it. He could faintly feel the discomfort, albeit numbed. He swore he could still feel the tip of his ear, despite the fact that it was rotting somewhere in that god damn alley. Gold was staring at him, and it took him a moment to finally meet his gaze. “Is it that bad?” The rabbit asked with a weak grin. Gold flattened his ears and shook his head. “No, I just-” Springtrap shifted and interrupted before the bear could finish that sentence. “I  _ know  _ it’s bad, but it could have been worse…”

Gold opened and closed his mouth as he tried and failed to find what to say. He looked down at his ramen and tapped his claws against the cup timidly. It was an unusual sight to see the bear seem so small, and it made Spring feel… odd.

“They … mentioned those prosthetics-” Gold began in a soft voice, but Springtrap was already shaking his head before he could get it all out. Spring gripped at the container of cantaloupe a little tighter and shivered from the cold feeling against his hands.   
“I don’t have the money for that, Freddy.” It wasn’t often that Spring found himself calling the bear that, and it definitely caught both of them off guard when it slipped out of his mouth.

He had been screaming it last night, though; screaming it out as he pleaded for it all to stop. The pain, the beating, the terror. Spring opened the container of fruit with a small intake of breath. He needed to eat, and his growling stomach was becoming an unpleasant distraction from the conversation at hand. While a prosthetic ear would be nice, it would have taken some getting used to, and even then, it would have been somewhat apparent that the majority of his ear was synthetic. Springtrap didn’t have the means to get a fancy artificial replacement, though. He was barely holding onto his apartment as it was. Luxuries such as fake ears were out of his reach, and he had accepted that the moment he’d been told the price of them. Everything came at a cost, from replacement ears to securing his and Gold’s life. 

William was still nearby; the feeling of him had never faded, and Springtrap found himself wondering how he’d even adjust to this feeling. Would he go numb to it, or would the discomfort of being watched grow? Time would tell, and no medication could dull the sensation of William’s presence. He would never be alone again.

Gold leaned forward hesitantly with his eyes locked onto Spring’s tattered ear. Springtrap looked into Gold’s eyes, searching for answers he already knew. Gold wanted to feel it.   
“Be gentle.” Was all the rabbit said before turning to his fruit. Gold hesitated a moment longer before gently rubbing his thumb across what remained of the ear. It was an odd sensation, but Springtrap felt more numb than anything. He could feel Gold’s fingers slipping across his ear, but it didn’t hurt. It reminded him of when his legs fell asleep after sitting in an awkward position for just a little too long. Springtrap quietly chewed his food as Gold just felt along his ear. He was taking it all in, the sight, how it felt… He’d never again see Spring’s ears perk up excitedly or lower in embarrassment. He still had one untouched ear, but it wasn’t the same. Springtrap had been mutilated by those bastards, and for one reason or another, Springtrap had begged Gold to not push for a search for the attackers. Springtrap had blatantly lied to the cop about it being a pack of dogs; no cat, no human, just dogs. There was something that Springtrap was hiding, but he wasn’t sure if he was prepared to ask the small rabbit exactly what it was just yet.

They both needed time to take everything in and calm down, and Gold wasn’t going to put Spring under any unnecessary stress. He trusted Springtrap; if there was something he needed to know, Spring would have told him. The silence in the kitchen was peaceful, and the only thing that filled the small space was the ticking of the clock on the wall. Everything felt still, and that moment felt like it would last forever. The stroking on his tattered ear began to feel pleasant, and Springtrap quietly chewed his food as the stroking continued. Mutilation and ‘attachments’ aside, Springtrap found that he didn’t mind how things had turned out. Gold’s soft strokes continued, and Springtrap eventually looked up to meet the other man’s gaze once again.

Gold was smiling ever so slightly, and Springtrap felt his lips curling into one as well.


End file.
